Alrest: Population, Dwindling
by Time Knight Leo
Summary: Ash and Kari find themselves flung to the world of Alrest. After meeting with Rex and Azurda, the two and their partners, Pikachu and Gatomon, will be thrust into adventure, learning what they can about this new world and surviving against the dangers it presents, including a terrorist group tied to the world's past. Rated T due to some violence and Malos (not taking any chances).
1. Falling & Meeting

_**Author's Note:** I honestly have no idea why I'm posting this in the first place. This is literally my very first story here on this site, and it's a freakin' _three-way _crossover between Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Pokémon, and Digimon! *sigh* What a way to introduce yourself to the site, me..._

 _Anyway, I suppose I should tell you about the premise of this story. Story goes that, after an incident with a strange creature, Ash, Pikachu, Kari, and Gatomon are sent to the world of Alrest, where they're found by Rex and Azurda. From there on, they're thrust into a new adventure after meeting what would later be known as Torna. The story is ultimately going to follow Xenoblade 2's plot, though there might be some changes here and there (though not promising that since I'm still new to this...). It is, however, ultimately going to follow Ash's and Kari's POV throughout most of it (which comes into play if the group gets separated), only shifting POVs if it's important to the plot._

 _One thing to make note, however! This does take place in an AU of another author's story! Said story (or_ stories _in this case) is_ Pete the Rock's **Population Trilogy** _, which explains how Ash and Kari met in the first place. I did ask Pete for permission to submit this story, but just letting you know of what you're getting into, because this story will show that Ash and Kari are already well-informed of one another and their worlds (they just don't know anything about Alrest). This does mean that, by this story's start, the two are already a couple, thought right now I don't know who to pair Rex with._

 _Another thing is that I'm making this as if I'm making an actual story. I'm well-aware that the majority of the people who reads this will likely be familiar with Xenoblade 2, Pokémon, Digimon, or a combination of the three, and that I_ should _be writing as if people already know what's going on. However, that's not how it works in a proper story._ WE _may already know who Torna are, but Ash and Kari sure don't! That is why I'm writing this the way I am, and I don't think I'll be changing that any time soon._

 _One last thing to note is that I don't own Pokémon, Digimon, or Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I also don't own the AU this story takes place in (the aforementioned_ **Population Trilogy** _); that honor goes to_ Pete the Rock.

 _With all that said, let's begin the story... and hope it isn't a complete trainwreck..._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 1: Falling & Meeting_

* * *

A sea made of clouds, endless as the eye can see... It would appear that nothing could interrupt the stillness of the clouds...

Just then, 4 figures dropped down from the sky and into the cloudy sea below with a _*foom*_. Upon impact, the figures were gently risen to the surface, eyes closed as they laid unconscious. The first figure, a male, wore a blue jacket with a white vertical line across the middle, navy blue jeans, and a red cap covering his messy raven hair. Next to him was what appears to be a yellow mouse with a bolt-shaped tail.

The female figure had a white and pink, sleeveless shirt, yellow shorts, and long, fingerless gloves. Her hair was neatly kept by a hairclip, despite being temporary submerged in the clouds. Next to her was a white cat wearing clawed gauntlets.

The four figures were surely gonna die if left like this. However, just when it seemed their fates were sealed, a moving rock landmass floated toward their location. Just as bizarrely, a figure clad in a blue diving suit jumped into the sea and started hoisting the figures onto the landmass. The male figure slightly opened his eyes for a second to see his rescuer before fading back into unconsciousness...

* * *

The male figure opened his eyes slightly, having finally regain consciousness, finding himself in what appears to be a shack.

"Urrggg... Where am I...?" the figure spoke, looking to his left and finding the female laying down on the bed with him. Unlike the male, the female appears to still be unconscious. "Kari..."

"About time you woke up."

The male's eyes widen upon hearing that. He immediately sat up and gazed into his right. Standing by the doorway was the same diver that has saved the four figures. Only difference is that the diver helmet was off, allowing the male to see a youthful face and slightly spiky brown hair.

"Did you... saved us...?" the male asked, unsure about the situation, "Who are you...?"

The diver gave off a smile that washed away any uncertainty about the situation. "My name's Rex. I'm a salvager. Gramps and I saw you four drifting in the Cloud Sea before we decided to haul you all aboard," he introduced himself.

"Rex, huh?" the male repeated to himself before giving a smile of his own, "Well, thanks, Rex. My name's Ash Ketchum."

Just then, Ash's eyes widen in realization. "Wait! Where's Pikachu and Gatomon!?"

Right on cue, some soft yawns was heard. Ash turned to the back of the bed and found what appears to be a chest. On top of the chest was a pet bed, with the yellow mouse and white cat lying on it. The two creatures were waking up. Ash was relieved to see them well while Rex gazed at them amusingly.

"I may not be an expert with these kinds of animals, but it's a bit odd to see a feline and a rodent cuddling together like that," Rex noted with a chuckle, with Ash joining along.

"Yea, those two are quite a pair," he replied. Just then, another yawn was heard, this time coming from the female on Ash's left. Ash gazed at the female with worry. "Kari... Are you alright?"

The female, named Kari according to Ash, slowly opened her eyes and found her gaze right toward Ash. "Ash...?" she softly called out, "We're... alive?"

Ash couldn't help but smile. "We are, Kari... It's thanks to Rex here," he reassured, pointing toward Rex, "He's the one who hauled us into this shack."

Kari slowly sat up, regaining the last of her consciousness, in time to see the yellow mouse hop onto Ash's shoulder while the white cat moved to her side.

"Kari, are you sure you'll be alright?" the white cat asked, worried.

Kari gave a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine now, Gatomon," she answered before turning toward Rex, "Thank you for saving us."

"Aw, don't mention it," he replied with a silly smile, "Not like I could just leave you there."

"And even if you did, I would have given you a stern telling," an elderly voice echoed... wait, echoed? The four guests were surprised to hear a voice.

"Rex? Who was that just now?" Ash questioned, not seeing anyone else around.

All Rex could do was chuckle. "I suppose some introductions are in order," he said as he walked out of the shack, gesturing the others to follow him out. The quartet did just that, with Gatomon on Kari's shoulder and the yellow mouse, who is assumed to be Pikachu, remaining on Ash's.

Upon exiting the shack, the quartet found themselves staring at quite a sight. An endless sea of clouds as they stand upon a small rock landmass with some grass. It was like something in a fantasy! On the landmass itself was a clothsline with some clothes hung up for drying, another chest, and a moderate-sized crane. The quartet was in awe at the sight.

"Wow..." Kari awed with a smile on her face, "It's so beautiful..."

"Pikaaa..." Pikachu squeaked in agreement as Gatomon nodded. Ash was also in agreement as he smiled at the seascape, only to realized that there's no one else here except themselves and Rex.

"Rex? You said that you and your gramps helped us, right?" he commented, "But I don't see anyone else here."

"Why don't you try looking back?" was all Rex had to say as the quartet all looked back toward the shack they came from... only to see something else...

The shack wasn't anything to write home about. Rather, it's what was behind it. Sticking out from behind the shack was what looks like a stone dragon's head craning backward. It looks just like the landmass they were on, looking like stone with the back of its neck having grass growing. It was as if the landmass they were on was literally a dragon!

"Wha... What is that!?" Ash yelled out, shocked to see something like that.

The stone dragon looked puzzled at the quartet's reactions. "What's with the surprised look?" it spoke in the same elderly toned as before.

"It talks!?" Kari added in bigger shock, "Is this a Digimon!?"

"Doesn't look like any Digimon I've ever seen!" Gatomon commented.

"What are you all talking about?" Rex questioned as the others turned toward him, "It's as if you've never seen a Titan before."

Needless to say, the quartet was puzzled by what Rex called the stone dragon. "A... Titan...?" Ash repeated in confusion, with a confused "Pika?" from Pikachu.

Seeing the confused looks, Rex merely sighed. "This is odd. How could there be anyone in Alrest who doesn't know what Titans are?"

"Alrest?" Kari repeated before a look of realization kicked in as she turned to Ash, "Ash! Could we be in another world!?"

"Another world!?" "Pika chu!?" he and Pikachu replied in shock, "Is that even possible!?"

"Considering what we went through, that'd be likely," Gatomon informed, though no less surprised as the others.

The only ones not following along are Rex and the stone dragon. "Okay, you've officially lost me," he pointed out, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

The quartet turned toward Rex, realizing that he's clueless about the situation. "I supposed we should explain ourselves..." Ash recommended.

* * *

And so, everyone seated themselves on the grass as Ash and Kari began explaining.

"First off, as you know already, my name is Ash Ketchum, a Pokémon Trainer," Ash reintroduced himself, mainly to the Titan they're on, "My partner here is Pikachu, a Pokemon."

"Pi pikapi!" Pikachu cheered in acknowledgement. Now it was Kari's turn.

"My name is Kari Kamiya. I'm what's known as a Digidestined," she introduced herself before turning toward Gatomon, "My partner is Gatomon, a Digimon."

"Nice to meet you. I guess..." Gatomon added, still unsure about the situation they're in.

"Pokémon and Digimon, huh?" Rex commented, "Any particular reason for the different names?"

"It's kinda like that because they're from different worlds," Ash explained as Rex and the Titan were surprised, "The Pokémon World and the DigiWorld were separated until a tunnel near my home opened up. Pikachu and I went through it and found ourselves in the DigiWorld."

"Gatomon, I, and some friends of mine followed Ash back through the tunnel, and that was how we discovered the Pokémon World," Kari added, "After a bunch of mishaps that'd take way too long to explain, we all found it easier to keep the worlds connected like that, allowing the people of both worlds to travel between them."

"I suppose that explains why you immediately thought you were in another world," the Titan commented.

Rex crossed his arms in thought. "It'd make sense, seeing that you all already had experiences like that," he added, "Still, other worlds... Something like that is mind boggling..."

Rex then turned his gaze toward Gatomon. "I'm guessing that these 'Digimon' are capable of speaking our language, huh?" he commented as Gatomon gave a nod, "And here I was thinking she and Pikachu were Blades."

"Blades?" Kari repeated. Rex merely waved his arm.

"We'll explain later," he gestured the others to continue their story, "You mentioned Pokémon Trainer and Digidestined. Mind explaining that?"

With a nod, Kari continued. "Well, Pokémon Trainers and Digidestineds are similar in that they support their partners in battle, difference being Digidestineds supports Digimon and Pokémon Trainers supports, well, Pokémon," she explained, "The Pokémon and Digimon do all of the battling, but it's up to us to aid them through supports, commands, and encouragement."

Rex was nodding his head in understanding. "Sounds interesting. Sure wish we could do that with some of the wildlife here," he noted, "So then, how exactly did you all get here?"

"Well, we were doing some business in the DigiWorld when a strange portal appeared in the sky," Ash explained, "It was unlike anything we've seen. Just then, a strange creature appeared from it and attacked us."

"Our Pokédexes and Digivices couldn't identify it. It was as if it was neither Pokémon nor Digimon..." Kari added, as if she was recounting a bad memory, "We were able to drive it back, but before it went down, it gave one last attack and knocked the four of us into the portal."

"A strange creature?" Rex thought about the story, "What did it look like?"

"It was bizarre! Its body was like black wires with a spiky... thing for a head," Gatomon explained, "Its hands were like metal prongs while its legs looked like plugs. It was really freaky." Pikachu nodded feverously, creeped out from the memory.

"That is weird..." Rex mulled over as Ash sighed in defeat.

"I can only hope our friends are okay..." he commented, worried about any friends he and Kari inadvertently left behind. Just then, Rex got hold of his Pikachu-less shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ash. I'm sure they'll be alright," he reassured Ash, making both him and Kari feel a bit better.

"Thanks, Rex..." he thanked for Rex's encouragement.

"You're clearly optimistic, Rex," Kari pointed out with a smile.

Rex's response was to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. "Gramps often say I'm too optimistic."

"Often, you say?" the Titan replied, "I'm always telling you to never be too optimistic, but you never seem to listen."

"Heh, it's just how I am..." was Rex's only reply. The quartet could only chuckle at their talk.

"Well, we told you about how we got here," Ash confirmed, "How about you tell us about this world."

"Including why you call this dragon 'Gramps,'" Gatomon added with an eyebrow raised.

"I suppose that's fair," Rex agreed with a chuckle, "How about introducing yourself, Gramps?"

"Very well," the Titan accepted ad the quartet turned their attention toward the dragon head, "My name is Azurda. As you know by now, I'm a Titan. Here in Alrest, us Titans serve as the landmass which humans and wildlife lived on."

"You're saying that humans lived on you 'Titans?'" Ash questioned, not really buying how humans could possibly live on creatures a size of an island. The Titan named Azurda merely chuckle.

"You looked disbelieving," he noted, "Mind you, I'm one of the smaller Titans. The bigger Titans are able to fit multiple cities on them."

That comment caught the quartet by surprised. "So you're saying these Titan's are as big as countries!?" Kari asked.

Azurda chuckled at their surprised reactions. "I suppose you could say that," he answered.

"To us, they might as well be countries," Rex added. "After all, they're practically the only landmasses you'll see on Alrest."

"Really!?" "Pika!?" the quartet yelled out at once.

"Yup. There's not a bit of natural land here, so we humans make a living on Titans," Rex explained.

"It's all just as well. Humans and Titans do coexist in peace, after all," Azurda commented.

Ash, Pikachu, and Kari were all in awed at what Rex and Azurda explained, disbelief that this world of Alrest could be so radically different compared to the Pokémon World and DigiWorld combined. Gatomon, however, was gazing at her left.

"So the Titans are the only landmasses in Alrest?" she reconfirmed, "If so, then what is that?"

Gatomon pointed toward her direction. Everyone followed her gaze and found themselves staring at a gigantic tree far, far in the distance.

"That, my guests, is known to Alrest as the World Tree..." Azurda explained, "It lies in the center of the Cloud Sea."

"The World Tree...?" Kari repeated in awe, "What makes it so different from the Titans...?"

"No one knows why, Kari," Azurda answered, "The World Tree is only ever spoken in legends."

The quartet turned back toward the Titan upon hearing that. "Legends? What do you mean?" Ash asked.

Rex gave a cough to get everyone's attention. "The legend goes that, back when the world was young, we humans actually lived up there on that tree," he began explaining, "They say that atop the World Tree was a paradise where we once lived in harmony with our divine father, the Architect.

"They once called that paradise... Elysium..."

The quartet was in awed at the legend. "Elysium..." Ash said to himself.

Rex nodded before his face turned grim. "But then, one day... we were cast out," he continued, leaving the quartet shocked, "No one knows why. Perhaps we angered our creator, or maybe something else happened. Either way, we were forced to move to Alrest... to the sea of inhospitable clouds..."

Everyone was feeling glum as Rex continued. "However, when it seemed that humanity would die out, the Architect... took pity on us... He sent his servants, the Titans, to save us. Since then, humans and Titans lived in harmony, as Gramps said."

"That is the legend of Elysium," Azurda finished, "A tale that's been passed down as myths. Very few people, if any, believed it exists."

The quartet were left to wonder about the legend and whether it's true or not... until...

"But now, those Titans..." Rex spoke with a sad sigh, "... are beginning to die out..."

Needless to say, the quartet was shocked to hear something like that. Die out!? That could only mean...

"It is exactly as you are probably thinking," Azurda interrupted their train of thought, "With the Titans dead, they'll be nowhere for the humans to live..."

A sad thought for everyone... To think that Ash and Kari were sent to a world that might not have much longer to live...

"That's kinda why... why I became a salvager," Rex spoke after a moment of silence.

The quartet turned back toward Rex, wondering about that statement. "What do you mean?" Kari asked.

Rex closed his eyes in wonder. "You might not know this, being from other worlds, but the kinds of things we salvagers find vary a lot," he explained, "Some of it trash, some of it treasure... but all of it from people long gone... My hope is that I could find some clue beneath the Cloud Sea... a hint that Elysium exists..."

Ash widen his eyes at Rex's explanation. "So you became a salvager... to search for Elysium?" he questioned.

"Well, the main reason, really. If there is a way to reach Elysium, perhaps it's beneath the clouds," Rex continued, "If Elysium does exist... perhaps we could all live in peace... without worrying about our homes disappearing..."

Everyone was left to wonder about this new world they're in. A paradise where everyone could live in peace without end... Could such a place exist...?

"Anyway, I suppose we better get a move on," Rex suddenly spoke, "We were on our way to the Argentum Trade Guild when we found you all afloat. We've recently obtained a bit of treasure that we're hoping to trade in for some cash."

"Cash? Didn't you say you became a salvager to find Elysium?" Gatomon pointed out.

"Yea. I said that was the main reason," Rex answered, "The money we earn is an added bonus, and a good one at that. After all, how else am I supposed to help out Fonsett Village?"

Fonsett Village? There's something new to think about. "Is that your home, Rex?" Kari asked.

"Yup. I lived in Fonsett Village at the Leftherian Archipelago with my aunt and Gramps here," Rex answered, "Mind you, I've moved out five years ago. I've been living on Gramps since then."

"Five years ago?" Ash commented, unsure how someone so young could move out so early, "Rex... How old are you?"

"Hm, 15. Why?" Rex answered.

Cue surprised shock from the quartet. "15!? You barely look 12!" Ash replied.

"Hey, I'll have you know I merely look short for my age!" Rex retorted, taking offense to that, "What about you two? How old are you?"

"Rex, what did I say about asking women their age?" Azurda interrupted, unamused at Rex's question.

"It's quite alright, Azurda," Kari assured the Titan before turning back toward Rex, "We're both 14."

Rex merely stared at Kari before letting out a chuckle. "14, huh? Not far from my age, then. I would've pegged you as 11, though, but then I'd be a hypocrite."

And just like that, all tension melted away again. However, Ash still have something that's bothering him, something that Pikachu is quick to point out. "Pikapi?" he called out to his trainer worriedly.

"I'm fine, Pikachu. It's just..." he began before turning back toward Rex, "Rex, you said you lived with your aunt and gramps, right? What about your parents?"

"Gone," he answered, a bit too bluntly for the surprised Ash's and Kari's tastes, "Gramps said they died when I was young."

Ash immediately hung his head low in guilt. "Oh... I'm sorry for bringing it up..." he apologized.

"Don't be," Rex reassured with a smile, "It was a long time ago, and I was just a toddler when it happened. I've since moved on. Besides, my aunt and Gramps here took care of me since, so it's all good."

"Is that why you call Azurda 'Gramps?'" Gatomon pointed out.

"Yup. He's basically the one who raised me, especially since I moved out," Rex proclaimed as if prideful, "Anyway, we need to move. These treasures aren't gonna sell themselves."

And with that, Azurda went back to sailing the Cloud Sea, with some extra guests on board. While that was going on, Kari went up to Rex.

"One more thing... Your goal, your life... Why tell us?" she questioned.

"Oh, that. Hmm..." Rex thought about it before looking back at Kari, "I suppose it's because I trust you."

That answer caught the four by surprise. "Trust us? Even though we're not from Alrest at all?" Gatomon pointed out in bafflement.

"Yea. I can tell you're good people." he answered back, "Besides, we've become good friends, right?"

As he said that, he held his hand forward while the others were surprised to hear that... but only shortly. They then immediately smiled at the sentiment.

"Right! Friends!" Ash called out, placing his hand on Rex's, "Despite what have happened to us, I'm glad to have met you and Azurda."

"Me too. I'm sure we'll be great friends," Kari added as she, too, placed her hand on the two. Soon enough, both Gatomon and Pikachu climbed on their respective partners' arms to place their paws on the group.

"I'm sure too..." Rex finished as he looked at his new friends with a big smile.

Looking at the group on his back, not even Azurda could resist smiling. "While I'd question you making friends with people you barely know, I'm sure you all will do fine," he spoke to himself as he swam toward the horizon, "I'm sure of it..."

* * *

 _With that, part 1 of the story is completed. Not a whole lot, just the two explaining their situations and getting familiar with Rex and Azurda._

 _I already got a few parts completed (enough for the entirety of Xenoblade 2's first chapter), but there may be some breaks afterward. Letting you all know ahead of time that I have a bad tendency of losing motivation for my works. Hopefully it'll last long to get a lot of work done for this story. That being said, once I'm done with the first chapter (in-game), I probably won't be posting more parts until I'm completely done with the entirety of each in-game chapters (in total, that's 10 chapters in all)._

 _So, yea. Hopefully you liked this. Again, this is my first story here on this site, so I highly doubt it'll be perfect, or even all that great, but that's just how I roll: I make things that I want to make without worrying about what others might think. That being said, tell me what you think of this premise, because I am a bit morbidly curious._

 _Until next time where the trio reach Argentum._


	2. Argentum & Request

**Author's Notes:** _Well, here's the second part. From here on out, I will be referring to a Xenoblade 2 script for most of the in-game dialogue, only changing things as I need to. So if the dialogue looks a bit 'samey', then sorry. I kinda need that script to know what characters are saying. I highly doubt I'd be able to remember EVERY piece of dialogue in that game, so if I just jump in using only what I remember, then some (or perhaps_ _most) of the dialogue may end up being inaccurate._

 _Also, forgive me if things are slow from time to time. Considering that Ash and Kari are both completely new to Alrest, that doesn't leave me a lot of opportunities to just skim through. I think it would be better in a long run to kinda 'teach' the two and their partners most of what Alrest has to offer. It wouldn't make sense for them to suddenly know something about this whole new world without context._

 _Well, I think that's enough of that. Hope you enjoyed._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 2: Argentum & Requests_

* * *

Two people, Ash Ketchum and Kari Kamiya, along with their partners, the Pokémon Pikachu and Digimon Gatomon, found themselves adrift in the middle of the Cloud Sea after a battle with a strange creature. They would have perished if it wasn't for a salvager named Rex and a Titan named Azurda, who hauled them out of the clouds. After becoming friends with one another and explaining the situation, the group of 5 rode on Azurda on their way to a place called the Argentum Trade Guild.

It took quite a while, but the Titan managed to make it to their destination in a single day. Ash and Kari gazed at their destination in awe. Ahead was what appears to be a large airship sitting directly on the Cloud Sea, held up by a large, whale-like Titan shaped like a balloon. An apt description as Argentum looks a bit like a airship crossed with a hot-air balloon.

"Wow... So that's Argentum..." Kari spoke in awe, "If this is what's to expect on our impromptu stay on Alrest, then consider me a fan!" Gatomon nodded at that, mouth agape in awe.

Ash nodded excitedly. "No kidding! And that Titan! Looks about as big as a Wailord or Whamon! And it's capable of flying as well? Alrest is already getting me excited, and I'm not even on a Pokémon journey!" he excitedly exclaimed as Pikachu let out a cheerful "Pika!" And all throughout the excitement, Rex was grinning in amusement at his new friends' reactions.

Soon, Azurda docked himself on one of the docks around Argentum, allowing his passengers to hop off. Rex was first with a quick hop along with Pikachu while Ash climbed down before turning to help Kari down. Gatomon was the last to disembark as someone walked over to Rex.

"Why, if it isn't Rex!" the newcomer called out, "How's business?"

Rex turned to the newcomer with a smile. "Nice to see you, Hirkham," he greeted the newcomer, "I'm doing alright, else I wouldn't be here."

"Fair point," Hirkham agreed before noticing Ash and Kari, "And who might your new friends be?"

"They're Ash and Kari, along with their partners, Pikachu and Gatomon," Rex introduced the four for them. Hirkham couldn't help but stare at Pikachu and Gatomon particularly.

"Partners, huh? They don't look like Blades, but who am I to judge," he shrugged before refocusing on Rex, "So, which one am I unloading?"

"That can wait until I'm done negotiating. Shouldn't be too long," Rex answered.

"Well, mooring is 15 gold per half-day," Hirkham replied.

"I'll have your gold after I sell all the stuff, alright?" Rex replied back as he began to sprint away, "Come on, Ash! Kari!"

"Wait up!" Ash called out as he, Kari, and their partners chased after their new salvager friend, leaving Hirkham behind with Azurda.

"Hold on, Rex!" he called out in vein, "I told you, I don't do credit!"

Seeing that Rex and his friends were already gone, Hirkham sighed. "Not again... I swear, he does this every time..." he noted before turning to Azurda.

"... No wallet, I'm afraid," was the Titan's only response to all that.

* * *

Rex was on his way inside the airship when something caught his eye. On the opposite side of the pier was a black, armored ship with what appears to be a helm adorned on the front. It overall looked very impressive.

"Wow..." was Rex's reaction to the strange ship, "This thing's huge... and it's not even a Titan ship!"

"What's this about Titan ships?" Ash commented as he and Kari caught up to Rex.

"You see, while there are Titans the size of countries, there are others about Gramps' size, with some even smaller," Rex explained, "Those Titans are used to haul ships around. Think Argentum here, only smaller scale. It's how we get around Alrest."

"I see," Kari noted before looking at the strange ship, "But I don't see any Titans nearby."

"Yea, I know," Rex replied, back to gazing at the ship, "I wonder what they use for the propulsion system..."

As the group ponder that, another person came over. "Interested in that there ship, Rex?"

Rex and the others turned toward the person. "Oh, hey, Garram," he greeted, "Well, yea. Looks to be a very impressive build. Knows who owns that?"

The person named Garram held his chin up in ponder. "Well, from what I hear, it's some of the Chairman's clients," he answered, "But Rex, I'd advise you to stay clear. Don't want to risk anything happening to it."

"I understand. I'll stay clear of it," Rex assured as Garram turned to Ash and Kari.

"And that goes to your new friends as well," he warned, dropping his arm from his chin.

"You don't need to worry about us. We'll be careful," Ash assured as Kari nodded.

"Alright then. You be careful," Garram stated as he walked off. Rex turned to his offworld friends.

"Well, we better head inside to the Central Exchange," he recommended as they all headed inside.

"By the way, Rex, what did Hirkham meant by 'Blades?'" Kari asked out of the blue, "You also mentioned Blades back on Azurda's back. Mind telling us what that means?". Rex tilted his head toward Kari as they continued walking.

"Well, you see, similar to how your Pikachu and Gatomon are your partners, Blades serve as partners to people called Drivers," Rex explained, "They supply Ether, the life force of Alrest, to their Drivers and support them in battle. Kinda a reverse version of a Pokémon Trainer or Digidestined, only Blades can do more than just support."

"Really?" Ash replied, intrigued by these 'Drivers' and 'Blades.'

"Blades also come in a variety of appearances. Some human-shaped, some more bestial. That's kinda why it didn't fazed me that Gatomon could talk; I thought she was a Blade," Rex continued, "That's about the extent of what I know about Blades, though... If you want to learn more, you're better off asking someone else.

"Oh, and it probably goes without mention, but Drivers who knows a ton more about Blades would probably tell that your partners aren't Blades themselves," he added, "So I think it'd be best if Gatomon stayed quiet around other people; I highly doubt you'd mind telling your stories to other people here on Alrest."

"I suppose that's a fair point..." Gatomon agreed. With that, the group continued on as the offworld quartet wondered about the Blades. Of course, they didn't had time for thoughts as they arrived at the Central Exchange. Behind the counter... was an odd sight for the offworld quartet.

Sitting behind the counter was what appears to be a furry ball of fluff with stubby arms and legs and large ears folded on its... body? Head? Can't exactly tell... Either way, if they haven't already learned they were in another world, Ash and Kari would have mistaken this thing for a Pokémon or Digimon.

"Hey there, Melolo," Rex called out to the strange creature, "I have some new treasures I want to trade in."

"Alrighty, let me take looks at inventory," the creature named Melolo replied in a strange, yet recognizably female, dialect. From there, the two began talking about stuff that, quite frankly, Ash and Kari couldn't make out.

Just then, Pikachu noticed something. "Pi Pikapi!" he called out to Ash.

"Huh? What is it, Pikachu?" he asked as Pikachu pointed toward some people by the entrance they came in. The duo plus Gatomon turned toward the entrance and, upon closer inspection, saw that the people were wearing armor. Two different kinds of armor. "I wonder what that's all about?"

"The armor kinda reminds me of the military back at our world," Kari commented, referring to her own world, "Perhaps they're soldiers."

"The military? Soldiers? What exactly are they doing here?" Ash replied, looking rather unease by the situation.

"I don't know, but they don't look too pleased with each other..." Gatomon commented, not looking any better.

Before they could ponder further, they were knocked out of their train of thought by Rex. "WHAT!? That's it!?" he shouted.

"Is life, meh! This still more than I give to non-friend!" Melolo replied to Rex's outburst, "If you bring military supplies, then you get good price!" She then turned toward, coincidentally, the same soldiers that Ash and Kari were talking about, with Rex doing the same.

"Ceasefire between Mor Ardain and Uraya not keep for too much longer, methinks," she continues, "So weaponry is hot item!"

 _'Ceasefire?'_ Kari thought, feeling more unease, _'Does that mean there's a war coming!?'_

Melolo turned back toward Rex to get his attention. "Well? What friend think? I make it worth your while!"

"You know I stay away from that sorta thing, Melolo!" Rex immediately retorted, facing Melolo once again, "How many times must I tell you?"

All Melolo could do was sigh. "Is shame, really. Rex good salvager, could be good way to earn good monies! Waste of talent, if you ask me!" she added, "Anyhoo, where were we?"

Rex gave an exasperated sigh. "I suppose I'll take the offer," he accepted, "200 now, and you know what to do with the rest."

"Okie-doodles! Sending monies to Corinne of Fonsett Village," Melolo confirmed with a genuine smile, "Is beautiful thing... Sending monies home at such a young age... I touched!"

She then sighed once more. "Wish my own dum-dum littlepon did same..." she added unamusingly.

"It's 'cos Gramps doesn't charge rent," Rex informed with a chuckle, "Alright then, I'm counting on you."

Melolo gave a salute... with her ear-things... "Roger! Pleasure doing business with Rex!" she thanked as Rex headed off, followed by Ash, Kari, and their partners.

"Before you say anything..." Rex suddenly spoke, assuming he's taking to Ash and Kari, "Melolo's what's called a Nopon. They're one of the races that live on Alrest. They may look like Pokémon or Digimon in your worlds, but Nopon are treated the same as humans. Making note now in case you accidentally insult them."

"Thanks for the heads up, but we have another thing that's bothering us," Ash informed, and somehow, Rex could tell what's coming next by his sigh, "What's this about a ceasefire, and what's with the soldiers?"

"... Years ago, Mor Ardain and Uraya were at war with each other," Rex explained, practically confirming Ash's and Kari's fears, "I tend to stay away from war stuff, so I don't know the details, but I heard it wasn't pretty... War never was... The war's ended in a ceasefire, but there's been talk that it not lasting much longer... and considering living spaces are running out with the dying Titans, I can't exactly blame 'em..."

That's certainly not a good sign. Not only are Titans dying out, there's also a war that's apparently coming. Ash and Kari certainly picked a bad time to enter Alrest...

Before the bad mood could fully set, three more people approached the group. Two of them wore suits while the third one, the one leading, was another Nopon, wearing more important clothing compared to Melolo.

"Pupunin! Been a while!" Rex greeted the Nopon.

"Rex looking bad spirits," Pupunin pointed out the bad mood covering the group, "Friend feeling troubled?"

"Eh, been worse," Rex shrugged, not wanting the war subject to linger, "Anyway, you got something for me? New job maybe?"

"Something like that," the Nopon answered before noticing Ash and Kari, "And who are new friends?"

"Oh right. They're Ash and Kari, and their partners, Pikachu and Gatomon," Rex introduced his friends to the Nopon, "They're crashing with me and Gramps until we get things situated with them."

"I see..." Pupunin replied, deep in thought with eyes closed. After a few seconds, he opened them up and addressed the group once more. "Rex come from Fonsett Village in Leftherian Archipelago, yes?"

"Yea, that's right," Rex answered. Ash and Kari remembered that that was where he lived before moving out.

"And Rex and friends, combat trained?" the Nopon questioned.

"Gramps taught me a few Arts to deal with the sea creatures while salvaging," Rex replied.

"And Pikachu and Gatomon can hold their own against whatever enemies they face," Ash added with Kari, Pikachu, and Gatomon agreeing.

"Interesting... Yes, this all work out..." Pupunin spoke to himself before refocusing on the group, "You all should go straight to boardroom of Chairman!"

"Wait, what's going on?" Rex questioned. Ash and Kari had heard about a 'Chairman' from Garram, and they assumed it was someone important in Argentum.

"Chairman Bana ask for Rex by name!" Pupunin clarified.

"The Chairman!? For me!?" Rex exclaimed in surprised. Apparently, this Chairman was more important than Ash and Kari thought.

* * *

Inside a moderate office, the group faced a desk. Behind it was a large, green Nopon wearing very fancy clothing and jewelry. This is presumably the Chairman they've been hearing about, and apparently 'Chairman' meant head of all of Argentum! On either side of the desk were scantally clad dancers. Ash was trying hard not to stare, though Rex appears unaffected.

"Thank you for accepting summons!" the large Nopon addressed, "I Bana, Chairman of Argentum Trade Guild."

"P-pleased to make your acquaintance..." Rex fumbled. He's apparently nervous about this, and rightly so. Ash and Kari were also nervous.

"Me hear from Pupunin that friend is salvager of some renown," Bana explained, "And me also hear that friends of Rex also assists Rex. That being case, I have teensy weensy thing to ask of Rex and friends."

"A request straight from the Chairman!?" Rex exclaimed with Ash and Kari also being moderately surprised.

"Reward is 100,000 gold," Bana added, which added fuel to the surprise fire.

"A HUNDRED THOUSAND!?" "PIKA PIKACHU!?" this time all three plus Pikachu exclaimed. Even Gatomon nearly yelled, though she stopped herself from alerting the Chairman.

"Friends hear right," the large Nopon confirmed, "Actually, that just the advance. Another 100,000 provided upon completing job."

Needless to say, this was quite a shock for the group. "200,000 gold from one request..." Ash said in awe, "Man, that's a lot..." Even Pikachu agreed.

After a bit of thinking, Rex gave his answer. "I'll do it! I hereby swear to use every skill I possess to ensure this job is successful!"

Bana merely raised an eyebrow at that. "You agree without even hearing details of job, and without friends agreement?" he pointed out, causing Rex to rub his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, heh, sorry bout that..." he apologized, "So, um... What kind of job is it?"

Seeing the ordeal, Ash merely facepalmed, Kari sighed in exasperation, and even Bana looked unamused. "... You really have skills for this?" he commented.

"Of course, we'll be fine!" Rex assured before turning to his friends, "Right guys?"

"Sure, might as well," Ash agreed with a shrug while Pikachu sigh at Rex's antics, "Might give me a chance to see how salvaging work."

"Well, if Ash is coming, I might as well come too," Kari added with Gatomon nodding, "After all, someone's got to keep these boys in line." Rex was unamused by that comment, but decided not to bother.

"Meh, if you say. Crew will explain the task," Bana informed before turning toward one of the dancers, "Bring them in."

With a nod, the dancer moved toward the double doors to the group's right and opened it up, allowing some people to walk through. As for the people... they were quite a sight...

On the right was a young, white-haired girl wearing a yellow jumpsuit. Curious thing about her, Ash and Kari thought, was that she had cat ears. Next to the girl was a white tiger wearing some armor. On the left was a large, black-haired man wearing equally black armor. Next to the man was some sort of two-legged lizard creature that certainly looked menacing. Both the lizard and tiger had glowing gems on their chests.

In the middle, however, was a lone, white-haired man wearing white clothing with bits of armor, a cape-like cloth draped on his hips, and oddly, a mask that hides his upper face. Out of the five people, the masked man gave off the most aura of respect as someone you really shouldn't cross. That was prevalent to Rex and Kari, but Ash was more focused on the black-armored man. Something about him doesn't sit right with Ash.

"Drivers...? And... Blades...?" Rex spoke after a tense silence, "So cool...!"

 _'Drivers and Blades,'_ Kari thought, looking toward the tiger and lizard, more specifically the gems on their chests, _'Those two must be Blades, then. But why does the masked man not have one?'_

"So," the masked man spoke, immediately gaining everyone's attention, even Ash who was still staring at the black-armored man, "There's something that we want to haul up. There were some current shifts. It showed up in an uncharted area. But it's a long way down."

"Long way down, huh?" Rex noted with a smile, "Nice. I like a good challenge."

The masked man's only reply was a nod before Bana explained further. "Bana offered to assemble team of veterans for this job. But this crew very picky. They want small elite team, and only from Leftheria," he explained, "That when Bana have stroke of genius! Should hire Rex!"

Hearing that made Rex chuckle in pride. "Well then, you certainly made the right choice!"

"That's right," Ash added, surprising Kari and Pikachu as he's been oddly silent until now, "We won't let you down!"

However, their pride were washed away when someone giggled. The trio turned to the clients to see that it was the cat-eared girl. "A child salvager and his equally child friends?" she commented with a laugh before addressing the masked man, "Jin, don't tell me we're gonna have to hire some babysitters for this outing too."

Needless to say, Rex didn't take that comment too well. "What the hell!? You look as much like a kid as I do, lady!" he retorted.

"At least I wouldn't wet myself at the promise of a measly hundred grand," the girl responded back.

Now she was getting under Ash's skin. "What exactly are you implying?" he questioned with a glare, only for the tiger to cross paths.

"Rex, was it? And I'm afraid I didn't catch you all's names," the tiger spoke, referring to Ash and Kari, "I implore you to excuse my lady's discourtesy."

Kari also attempted to defuse the situation by placing a hand on Ash's Pikachu-less shoulder. Feeling that, Ash calmed down. "Alright... Ash, and Kari," he introduced the two of them with a sigh, "I supposed we did get off on the wrong foot."

"Dromarch, what did I say about speaking for me?" the girl scolded her tiger Blade, only for the black-armored man to stop her.

"Drop it, Nia," he spoke with such authority as Ash went back to staring-no, glaring, at the man, "Though I do see your point... In any case... it should be easy enough to make sure..."

Then, before anyone had time to think, the man immediately rushed toward, bringing out what appears to be a tonfa with an energy blade flowing backwards, as he swung toward Rex. The salvager barely had time to dodge the first hit as he brought out what appears to be a broadsword made of junk to block the second hit. Whoever this man was, he was merciless as he continues to attack Rex with the implications of killing. Just when it seemed the man was gonna get another strike in...

"Pikachu! Iron Tail!"

"Pika CHU!" Pikachu shouted as he suddenly leaped in front of the black-armored man and, tail turning metal, immediately blocked the man's energy blade with his tail. Everyone, even the man himself, was impressed by such an action. The only one unfazed was Jin, the masked man.

"Lightning Paw, Gatomon!"

Just then, Gatomon rushed forward, paw upfront and covered in sparks, toward the black-armored man. In a split second, however, he turned his weapon into an energy shield, shoving Pikachu away in the process, and blocked Gatomon's attack with it, though unlike Pikachu, she didn't stay long as she leaped back from her blocked attack. Now Ash, Kari, and Rex were glaring daggers at the man, with Rex still poised for further attacks.

"The hell!? What're you playing at!?" he shouted, angry that one of their clients had the gall to attack someone like that. The man, however, had a smirk as he deactivated his weapon.

"Well, well, well..." the man spoke, "Not bad blocking my attack, kid... And those critters... I admit, I've certainly underestimated them."

The trio were still appalled at the man's sudden attack, but they weren't the only ones. "Malos! What good is it, beating up a bunch of kids!?" the cat-eared girl named Nia retorted, also appalled at the man, Malos.

"You said it yourself, Nia," Malos reasoned, "'What if the kids' aren't up to it?' Isn't that right?"

Nia's reply was another glare toward Malos. "I said nothing of the sort!"

"But you did think it though..." Malos continued, still wearing that smirk, "And besides, now we know."

Malos then turned to the kids. "You'll all do right enough. Though you don't look like a Driver, kid..." he commented on Rex before focusing on Pikachu and Gatomon, "And the critters don't look like Blades either. Where exactly did you learned those Arts, kid? And while you're at it, where you'd pick up those critters?"

"Gramps showed me a thing or two," Rex replied, defensive stance still not dropping, "Even when I was little, that was his idea of playtime."

"As for Pikachu and Gatomon... That's a bit more complicated to explain," Kari added, not letting up her glare as Gatomon went back to her side.

"Just know that they're our partners, and unbreakable partners at that," Ash added, who's glare seemed to intensified after Malos' attack.

"Is that so..." Malos confirmed, seemingly content with such answers, "Well, you all seem to have some skill, I'll give you that. Guts, too. You all better work hard."

Malos then turned to the lizard, presumably his Blade, who still looked surprised at Pikachu's and Gatomon's showing. "Sever, we're going," he called out, gaining his Blade's attention as the two of them headed off. Jin held his head low, seemingly disappointed at Malos' actions (though you can't really tell due to the mask) before following the two out. Nia stayed behind a bit to stare at the trio before leaving with a huff with her tiger Blade Dromarch.

"Meh-meh-meh! Friends are such rowdy bunch!" Bana commented, unamused that they nearly turned his office into a battlefield. The trio were startled from hearing Bana speak, who was quiet up to this point. He then pulled out a money bag and dropped it on his desk. "Here is advance. Use to by what gear you need, then go to dock on starboard! Bana has arranged excellent vessel for you there."

Rex, after putting his broadsword away, grabbed the money bag as he, Ash, Kari, Pikachu, and Gatomon headed out of the office. Now that they were out of Bana' earshot...

"I hate that guy already!" Gatomon immediately blurted out, speaking her mind about Malos, "Who does he think he is, attacking us like that!?"

"Yea, what possible reason could he have to do that?" Kari added, also showing hatred toward Malos.

Rex turned to his offworld friends in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Look, I know that guy was a jerk, but what exactly can we do about it?" he commented, "Like it or not, he's one of Bana's clients, and we already agreed to the job. There's nothing we can do about it."

"But-" Kari attempted to interject, only for Rex to raise his hand to stop her.

"I don't know what it's like in your worlds, but Alrest have its fair share of personalities and attitudes, including violent ones..." he continued, "It's just something that you'll come across from time to time."

Kari and Gatomon sighed at Rex's reasoning. "If you say so..." she responded before noticing that Ash has gone quiet again, "Ash? Is something wrong?"

"... He held back..." he spoke to himself, just barely loud enough for the others to hear.

"Held back? What'd you mean?" Rex questioned, prompting Ash to realized that he spoke out loud.

"Oh, nothing... Forget I said anything..." Ash defused, leaving a confused Rex and Kari as the trio continue their walk. Soon, the two were back to conversing with each other, and while their mood seemed to have improved a bit, Ash was still in deep thought.

 _'That dark feeling from that man... what could that be?'_ he thought, _'There's just something wrong with him... That is evident in how he attacked us, but why am I not satisfied with that conclusion...? Is there something else going on?'_ He then turned back to the door to Bana's office.

 _'... Malos... Just who are you...?'_

* * *

 _Well, that's the end of part 2. Now, before you get on my case on Kari 'commanding' Gatomon as if she was a Pokémon, let me give you two reasons why: 1, It's kinda my way of making Kari a part of the battles like Ash. I kinda don't like to leave out characters that are directly or indirectly involved in the battles. And 2, it's to keep up appearances: a talking cat that_ isn't _a Blade is most likely going to raise suspicion._

 _Anyway, tell me what you think. I am curious to see if I am doing something right._


	3. Preparation & Maelstrom

**Author's Notes:** _Here's part 3 of this story. Nothing more to say here, so let's just move on._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 3: Preparation & Maelstrom_

* * *

"... and that about covers it," Rex said to Azurda, who is still moored on the dock outside of Argentum.

Rex, Ash, and Kari had recently accepted a job from Bana to haul up something for their clients. Said clients were quite a group consisting of a cat-eared girl, a masked man, and another man who had the gall to attack Rex without warning! Between this and the revelation that 2 countries were about to go to war with each other, this has been quite an experience for Ash and Kari, though not in a good way... Rex has just explained to Azurda the... general gist of what happened, leaving out the man's attack so as to not alarm his gramps. However...

"That does not 'about cover it' in the slightest!" Azurda shouted, clearly in a bad mood, "Why would you take a job you know nothing about!? You don't even know who your employer is!"

Rex attempted to hand-wave it... to little effect. "This came straight from the Chairman, remember?" he reasoned, "What more do you need?"

"And besides, we at least caught the names of the clients," Kari attempted to defuse the situation, "Apparently, they go by Jin, Nia, and Malos." Upon saying that, however...

" _JIN AND MALOS!?_ " Azurda shouted, startling the group as just how much more enraged he sounded, "What were you thinking, accepting a job from those two!?"

"Sheese, someone's losing their temper..." Gatomon commented, "You seem to know a bit about these guys. Mind telling us about them?"

"Only that those guys are bad news!" Azurda answered... vaguely, "If they're the ones who supplied that job, all the more reason to not take it!"

"Sheese, stop getting your cords in a knot, Gramps!" Rex tried to calm the enraged Titan down... also to little effect, "... Okay, so maybe this 'Malos' is bad news, but so what if he attacked me-"

" _HE WHAT!?_ " the Titan shouted, even louder than before as the group covered their faces. Apparently, the group just kept making Azurda madder and madder... "You mean he attacked you _RIGHT IN THE CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE!?_ What more reason do you need to decline!?"

"Look, I'm sorry about not telling the full story," Rex apologized as he and the others lowered their arms, "But we've already accepted the job. It's all part of the Salvager Code: 'Never leave a job unfinished.'"

Azurda still looks unconvinced. Just then, Ash stepped up. "Look, Azurda. I know that we may be biting off more than we can chew from this. Heck, Kari and I aren't even salvagers!" he reasoned with the angry Titan, "But trust me when I say that Rex'll be in good hands. Pikachu and I won't let anything happen to him, okay?"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered in agreement, also promising to protect Rex. Azurda looked back and forth between Ash and Pikachu, but after a while, he merely sigh...

"... Alright... I suppose there's nothing I can do about it..." the Titan sighed in defeat before staring at Ash, "Just make sure that Rex is alright after this, okay?"

Ash replied with a nod and a smile. "Don't you worry, Azurda. Rex and I'll be alright," he said.

"And if it's too much for Ash and Pikachu, you still got me and Gatomon to keep these boys in line," Kari added with a smile of her own. Ash couldn't help but chuckle.

Azurda sighed before turning back to Rex. "However, my opinion still hasn't changed," he added with a stern look, "Jin and Malos are bad news, and you'd do well to watch yourselves around those two."

"Alright, I will," Rex hastily replied as he starts heading back into Argentum, with Ash and Kari hot on his tail, "You can take a nap while you wait, right? We're off!"

Azurda, startled by Rex's quick escape, merely sighed. _'That boy... I swear...'_ he thought before gazing at the Cloud Sea horizon, _'Still... Just what happened to you, Jin... to be working with Malos...?'_

* * *

Rex has only just made it to the shops within Argentum only to be stopped by Ash and Kari.

"Rex, don't you think this may be a bit much?" Kari questioned with a worried face. Rex couldn't help but sigh.

"Yea, I know, Kari... But it's like I said: I can't just decline after I've already accepted it," he informed, "If I did, then that may be the end of my salvaging career. And then what would I do?"

"I guess you got a point..." Ash conceded, "It's just... something doesn't seem right with this..."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Rex sighed in defeat, before facing Ash with a smile, "But things will be fine. After all, I have you all, and the way you stopped Malos' attack like that was pretty cool."

Hearing that, Ash couldn't help but smile. "If anyone deserve any thanks, it'd be Pikachu and Gatomon," he replied as Pikachu scratched his head in embarrassment, "They're the ones who stopped Malos' attack."

"Well, yea, but you told me that Pokémon Trainers and Digidestineds support their partners in battle," Rex added, "If that display is of any indication, it shows how well you two did in training them."

"I guess you have a point," Kari responded with a giggle. And just like that, the mood finally lightened.

"Anyway, I suppose we better make some preparations," Rex spoke.

"We have quite a lot of gold, though," Gatomon pointed out as Rex pulled out a bag of gold that Bana handed him, "What exactly should we buy?"

"Hm... Not much," Rex answered after a bit of thought, "Probably just an Abyss Suit and some other accessories for you two. After all, Fonsett Village needs this money more than I do."

Ash gave a smile toward Rex. "It is nice of you to be sending money to your village like this," he complimented, "If I had that kind of capability, I'd be doing the same for Pallet Town."

"It's like I said before; my main goal is finding Elysium, but the extra cash is an added bonus, and there's no way I'm letting that go to waste," Rex explained, scratching the back of his head, "Aunt Corrine certainly appreciates it." With that said, the trio plus partners headed toward the shops.

* * *

The group made plenty of preparations for the job. As he said, Rex bought himself the Abyss Vest he wanted while also getting a couple of Rigid Vests for Ash and Kari seeing that the other accessories won't help them much (that, and Pikachu and Gatomon are a bit too small for them). He also made a stop to Max to deliver 90,000 of the gold to Aunt Corrine (seeing that Melolo couldn't make a delivery this big). The group also bought some Grilled Anchortail (and a Marine Stir-Fry as Gatomon insisted) from a seafood shop a floor higher before deciding that they're prepared enough.

The group now find themselves on another dock on the other side of Argentum. They're currently gazing at the large Titan ship currently moored. It's certainly impressive enough, being nearly the same size as that black ship they saw before.

"Wheeling out the Maelstrom for this..." Rex commented in awe, "Bana sure has deep pockets..."

"What, the fact that he's rewarding us 200,000 gold in total didn't clue you in?" Ash replied with a chuckle. Soon, the others began chuckling a bit before a cough was heard from behind. The group turned around and saw one of the clients, the cat-eared girl named Nia.

"Gawking at a boat? What are you, twelve?" she commented, much to Rex's unamused face, "Wait, maybe you are twelve."

"What's my age got to do with anything?" Rex retorted, "I can tell an awesome feat of engineering when I see one!"

Nia merely sighed at that. "You don't close your mouth soon, you'll swallow a fly," she responded.

 _'What is her problem?'_ Ash thought before noticing a pile of rope by Nia's feet, an idea in mind. "Nia, you might want to watch where you stand," he called out, "Otherwise that rope'll drag you into the sea."

It apparently had the reaction Ash expected as Nia leaped back in shock, mouth hanging open. Ash couldn't help but laugh at Nia's reaction, with Rex doing the same. Nia, as expected, had a stern face, unappreciating the prank, while Kari, Pikachu, and Gatomon, as well as Dromarch, could only sigh at the boys' antics. Off in the distance, Malos apparently had the same thought as Kari as he facepalmed, though Sever, his Blade, thought it was funny as he started laughing as well. And Jin... well, it's hard to tell with that mask of his.

Just then, an adult wearing salvager gear approached the group. "Rex, we're heading out. Your friends are coming?" he questioned with Rex nodding, "You have night watch this time. Until then, rest up inside."

"Aye aye!" Rex responded with a salute before gesturing Ash and Kari, "Come on, you two!" With that, the group, along with the clients, got aboard the Maelstrom. It was time to set sail as the ship sailed toward the destination.

* * *

Night has fallen as most of the salvagers started drinking in the main hull, though some, including the clients, had the right idea of remaining in their rooms. Ash and Kari were among them as they had their room all to themselves (Rex was currently on lookout duty). Pikachu and Gatomon were currently curled up to each other taking a nap. Ash soon noticed that Kari was tinkering with what appears to be a small handheld device.

"Kari, what are you doing?" he asked, startling Kari out of her focus, "Sorry... It's just, you seem to be focused on your Digivice there. Is there something wrong with it?"

"Well... Ever since we landed in Alrest, my D-3's been unresponsive," she explained with a sigh, "I can't get it to work. That means I won't be able to Digivolve Gatomon into Angewomon..."

"Bummer..." Ash responded with a worried look, "What do you think might have happened to it?"

"Hm... If I had to make a guess, it's probably that portal that took us here in the first place," she theorized, though still worried, "If Izzy was here, he'd probably be able to figure this out..."

"Hmm... I'm guessing you already told Gatomon about this, right?" Ash asked, which was answered by a nod, "It is a bad thing, but at least Gatomon's a Champion-level and not a Rookie. It probably shouldn't get in the way of Gatomon's performance."

"I suppose you're right," Kari responded with a sigh of relief, though Ash had a different sigh.

"You're certainly better off than me," he noted slamming his fists on his knees, "Why did I not think of bringing my other Pokémon for this!? They could've helped out against that thing!"

Kari responded by placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Ash. No one knew we'd be attacked like that. It was a surprise for everyone," she reassured.

"Yea, but still..." Ash replied, still not convinced, "As a soon-to-be Pokémon Master, I needed to be ready for anything... I was far too lax during that time, and because of that, Pikachu's the only Pokémon I have for this entire journey."

Despite Ash's reasoning, Kari continued to soothe the trainer. "Even so, is that really so bad?" she asked, "Pikachu's one of your strongest Pokémon. Surely that'll make up for you not having a full team. And has Pikachu ever really let you down?"

Ash gazed toward the sleeping Pokémon for a bit, before turning to Kari with a sigh. "No... Not particularly. Pikachu always tries his best, and that all I can ask of him."

"Well, there you go!" Kari commended with a smile, with Ash joining her. Soon, there was silence, except that Kari still had one more question for the trainer. "... Ash? What do you think of Alrest?"

"What do I think of Alrest?" Ash wondered that as he closed his eyes in thought. After a while of thinking, he opened up and faced Kari with a smile. "Despite what happened that brought us here... I'm glad we landed here. We got to see some amazing sights like the Cloud Sea and Argentum, and that's only just the beginning! I'm also glad to have met Rex and Azurda. Those two are great friends to be sure, especially Rex!"

Kari could only giggle at that response. "I figured you would like Rex. I swear, you two are so alike, I could've sworn you were brothers," she replied, though she soon frowned, "But it certainly can't all be good... The revelation that the Titans are dying out and war coming does make it worrisome. And I'm not entirely set with ALL of Alrest's residents. Case in point, Malos."

Ash merely sighed at that. "That is true, but then, what journey isn't filled with bumps in the road?" he explained, "My journeys are always filled with Team Rocket's failed attempts at snagging Pikachu. And that's saying nothing about other bad people like Team Galactic. Even the discovery of the DigiWorld had me running into LadyDevimon and Myotismon, yet I still don't regret that in the slightest."

Ash then gave Kari a loving look. "After all... I got to meet you."

Blushing from such a comment, Kari gave an embarrassed smile. "Still such a charmer, I see..." she commented, "Though in all honestly, I'm kinda in the same boat. If my friends and I haven't gone through that tunnel, I probably wouldn't have met you, much less... fall in love..."

She then gave a much more cheerful smile. "So in a way, I'm kinda glad all that stuff happened,"

The two smiled at each other, enjoying each other's company. After a bit of silence, though, Kari edged closer to Ash. "Ash...?"

"Yea, Kari...?" Ash replied, also edging closer to Kari.

"Even despite the bad stuff we've encountered, I'm also glad to be here on Alrest..." she spoke softly, "... especially since you're here..."

"Kari..." Ash spoke with a soft smile. The two edged closer until... their lips touched. Eyes closed, the two enjoyed the mood as they kiss passionately... It lasted for a good minute or so...

... until Rex entered through the door.

"I'm back! Mis-" Rex started until he noticed the scene of Ash and Kari kissing, and all became awkward. The accidentally announced couple broke lip contact and faced the salvager with glares, though they still had embarrassed blushes on their faces.

"What the hell, Rex!?" Ash called out harshly, "Couldn't you've entered at a better time!?"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Rex tried to apologize, reduced to a blushing mess, "I didn't mean to- I was just- I didn't know you two were-!"

Kari merely groaned at that, her moment with Ash ruined. "Just... Just rest yourself up..." she spoke with a groan, "There's still that job to do."

Rex scratched his head in embarrassment. "Er, r-right!" he responded before setting himself on the other bed. With that settled, Kari turned to Ash.

"We might as well do the same," she recommended with a yawn, "After all, who knows what might happen. Pupunin did say something about being 'combat trained.'"

"Alright," was Ash's only response as he was also miffed that his moment was ruined. The two then laid down on their bed to nap until the Maelstrom reach its destination. Rex, however, was having trouble sleeping, the sight of Ash and Kari kissing still fresh in his mind.

 _'Ash and Kari... are a couple...?'_ he thought, _'I wonder when they planned to tell me and Gramps that...'_

He turned toward the now sleeping couple, staring at them. _'I wonder... if I could get myself someone as well...'_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the client's room, both Jin and Malos, as well as Dromarch took a quiet nap, a stark contrast from the snores coming from Sever. However, Nia couldn't bring herself to sleep, not because of Sever, but because of something else.

 _'But up there... Elysium is waiting for us,'_ Nia remembered the words of someone she ran into, _'Everyone could have peace and security. I mean, a dream like that... Isn't that worth believing in?'_

 _'A dream worth believing in...?'_ she thought to herself, _'... Can a place like that really exist...?'_

 _'When I asked Gramps, he told me they died when I was just a kid,'_ was the person's answer when Nia asked if they had parents, _'He basically raised me himself. He's not like us, though.'_

"Can't sleep?" a voice knocked Nia out of her thoughts. One turn revealed it was Jin.

"Sorry..." Nia apologized, head held low, "I guess I have a lot in mind..."

"About the mission?" was Jin's response, prompting Nia to shake her head.

"Nah, it's..." she began, suddenly feeling nervous about speaking to Jin about this, "It's just... There's someone I ran into before. I thought he was just a nobody, but then... he got me thinking about things..."

Jin closed his eyes in thought, thinking that the person Nia was talking about was the salvager they met in Bana's office. The one they called 'Rex.' "... What did he say?" he questioned softly after opening his eyes.

"Well, a couple of things, here and there..." Nia answered, a bit vaguely, "But there was something that caught my mind... Something about 'a dream worth believing in.' It made me think about... our own dreams..."

Jin instantly understood where Nia's coming at, eyes closed once again and sighing. "... Only time will tell whether that'd come true or not..." he spoke, fully facing Nia with open eyes, "But that is precisely why we're on this mission: a first step toward our goal."

He then laid his hand on Nia's shoulder. "All I ask is for your help..."

Nia stared at Jin for a while before giving a soft smile. "... Sure, Jin..." she replied, "After all, you helped me before. It's the least I could to to repay you."

Jin gave a genuine nod as he went back to bed. Nia soon did the same, though her thoughts were still on Rex.

* * *

 _So yea. Again, sorry if it's slow going. Next time, however, we're actually going to get into some combat once the Maelstrom reach the destination. Though I remember combat being one of the hardest things to write on this site, so I don't know how that'll go._

 _Besides that, that scene between Ash and Kari. I already mentioned back in part 1 that those two are already a couple before the events of this story (again, this takes place in an AU of Pete's_ **Population Trilogy** _). That being said, don't expect too many romantic moments in this story. This is primary adventure-based, and I'm mostly not going to deviate from that._

 _Another thing is that scene between Nia and Jin. Aside from sorta setting Nia up to be a possible option for Rex (still unsure whether to go with her or another female that we'll get to very soon), it's also meant to showcase Jin's caring side, as I'd imagine him caring for his subordinates (as we'll see later on when we actually see more of Torna)._

 _Anyway, tell me what you think. Hopefully I'm doing alright with this._


	4. Salvagers & Drivers

**Author's Notes:** _Well, here we are. The first bit of combat. Writing combat does seem to be tough for most writers on this site, at least with the fics I've read. I'm honestly not sure if I did well with the combat here, but hopeful they're good enough. I am using the gameplay of Xenoblade 2 as a base for the combat, especially the Arts and Blade Specials._

 _Other than that, hope you enjoy._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 4: Salvagers & Drivers_

* * *

" _We are in position! All personnel, report to stations! Salvage team, suit up and proceed to hatch!_ "

The intercom blared out, waking those within the Maelstrom. Among those were Ash, Kari, Pikachu, Gatomon, and Rex, the latter of which was currently suiting up for the salvage. Everyone exited their rooms (Rex could have sworn he saw Pupunin hiding...) and met with the captain at the hull. Judging from the thundering sounds outside, it appears to be a stormy night.

"Your target is located inside a shipwreck 450 peds straight down," the captain issued the orders, focusing on a group of salvagers, which Rex is a part of, "Searching the wreck while submerged is too high-risk for our tastes, so we'll be using floatation devices and cranes to lift the hull first."

He then turned to another group, consisting of more armed salvagers, the clients, and Ash and Kari, their partners once again on their shoulders. "Once the vessel is surfaced, you'll split into teams and explore the interior," he continued, "Exterminate any pests that may have wandered into the vessel and clear the way to the target. Once it is found, retrieval can commence."

 _'So it's a full-fledged treasure hunt, huh? Nice, sounds like a kind of job I can get behind,'_ Ash thought to himself, a smile on his face until he turned to the clients, more specifically, Malos, which case he frowned, _'Just wish our clients could be a bit nicer...'_

"If that's clear, let's begin with attaching the floats," the captain ordered, getting Ash's attention, "Get into position!"

With that, the salvage team, including Rex, started to head out while the exploration team, including Ash and Kari, prepare themselves for what awaited inside the vessel. Outside, 2 smaller Titan Ships disengaged from the Maelstrom as the salvage team positioned themselves on multiple planks, ready to dive into the Cloud Sea.

"And submerge!"

The salvage team began diving into the sea one by one. Above deck, Ash and Kari could make out a blue salvager they recognize as Rex as he, too, dove into the clouds.

"You think Rex's gonna be alright?" Kari asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Kari. If his history is to be believed, he's been doing this for a couple or more years," Ash assured.

Kari sighed in relief, though it seems there's something else worrying her. "I guess you're right. But still, they said that they'll be some monsters inside," she reminded, "What exactly are we gonna find in there?"

Ash merely took one look at Pikachu for the two to nod in determination. "Whatever we'll find, we'll handle it. As long as Pikachu and Gatomon are on our side, nothing can go wrong."

Pikachu cheered in confirmation as Gatomon nodded. "He's right, Kari. Even as a Champion-level, I can still deal with anything that might be lurking in there," she added, prompting Kari to smile.

"Guess my fears were unfounded," she noted, now looking as determined as the others, "Alright, let's do our best!"

Right on cue, the sounds of strong waves was heard. Ash and Kari looked over the railings and saw a gigantic metal ship emerging from the sea. Seems like Rex and the others did it. Nearby, the clients also watched as the ship surfaced.

"Wow... that's massive!" Nia exclaimed in awe. Dromarch agrees with his Driver, but is much more subtle about it.

"The appearance matches our reports..." Malos noted, arms crossed, "... but it's what's inside that matters."

"Heh, heh! Time for the good part!" Sever chuckled, slamming his fists together in anticipation. Jin, meanwhile, stared at the ship for a bit before leaving with the others.

* * *

On the surfaced vessel, Rex stood with the other salvagers, admiring their work. Soon, they were joined by the second team, with Ash, Kari, and Nia approaching the young salvager.

"Excellent work, kid," Nia commended with a noticeable amount of respect, "You're not half bad, you know that?" Seems Nia has mellowed out since departing on the Maelstrom.

"'Not half bad?' That was awesome!" Ash added with more respect than Nia gave, "I can't believe you all carried this huge ship out like that!"

Rex could only scratch his head, not used to all the praise. "Well, I do this for the living, remember?" he said. Just then, the captain came aboard the vessel, ready to give further orders.

"All teams, proceed inside when ready!" he called out as the exploration teams prepare to enter the vessel, along with Jin and Malos. However, Jin stopped and turned toward Rex.

"... You. With us," he said.

Rex was surprised by what Jin said, as were Ash, Kari, and Nia. "You're gonna drag the kid along? Seriously!?" Nia questioned, not liking where this was going.

Instead of letting Jin answer, Malos took a potshot toward the cat-eared girl. "Guess he thinks you need all the help you can get," he joked, laughing once he was done, much to Nia's unamusement. Ash soon stepped up.

"If Rex is coming, then we're coming as well. Right, Pikachu?" he called out, with an agreeing "Pika!" from Pikachu.

Soon, Kari stepped up as well. "Ash is right. Rex is our friend, and we promised we wouldn't let anything happen to him," she exclaimed as Gatomon agreed, still keeping quiet so as to not alert Jin and the others. Jin stared at the two before closing his eyes.

"... Do what you must," he spoke before walking toward the door to the vessel with Malos and Sever. Rex was still a bit flabbergasted at Jin's order until Nia snapped him out of it.

"Well, don't just stand there! You've got your orders, haven't you?" she ordered. Despite her more mellow attitude lately, seems that Malos got under her skin.

With all that's been said, the group of 6 plus partners headed into the vessel, but before they could get to the door, said doors were knocked over by a strange creature consisting of a soft shell, multiple legs underneath, two claws up front, and a pair of large antennae. Oh, and it's huge. It certainly caught Ash and Kari by surprise, as well as Rex though he quickly got ahold of himself.

"What is _THAT_!?" Kari cried out as Gatomon and Pikachu prepared for battle.

"That would be a Lysaat, a common pest within the salvaging trade," Rex explained, taking out his broadsword, "Never seen one this big, though."

Nia soon stepped up along with Dromarch, wearing quite a smirk. "Time to show you all what a Driver can do," she said as she brought out a pair of rings. Curiously enough, the outer edge of the rings aside of the handle appear the same as the energy blade on Malos' tonfa. Speaking of Malos, he brought out his own weapon as Sever stood by his side. Curiously, Ash and Kari noticed, blue ethereal lines appeared connecting the Blades and their Drivers together.

Soon, the battle began as Pikachu and Gatomon took the Lysaat's attention with an Iron Tail and Lightning Paw respectively, allowing Rex to get behind it unnoticed.

"Got you now! Sword Bash!" he called out his attack as he stabbed the Lysaat in the back. It did some noticeable damage as the creature reeled back. However, before it could recover from the blow, Nia went to its side and prepared to attack.

"Butterfly Blade!" she slashed the Lysaat multiple times with her bladed rings. It seem to have the intended effect as it staggered a bit, allowing Malos to strike.

"Hammer Bash!" he yelled out (not called out, 'yelled' out) as he slammed his shield into the Lysaat, knocking it off its legs completely, "Sword Strike!" He then morphed his weapon into a proper sword and slammed it down onto the defenseless creature. Seems Malos' weapon can morph between tonfa, shield, and shortsword. However, it wasn't enough as it got back up and immediately rushed backward, slamming into Rex and knocking him back.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Nia called out as she rose one of her rings into the air and started spinning it around, "Healing Halo!" A wave of green energy erupted from the ring and onto Rex. Interestingly, Rex's wounds were healed by the energy.

 _'Nia's capable of healing people with her weapon? Never seen anyone do something like that in our worlds,'_ Ash thought to himself before turning toward the battle. "Pikachu, confuse it with Quick Attack!" he called out.

"Pikachu!" the Pokemon complied as he began running super fast, making laps around the large Lysaat. The creature couldn't keep track of the speeding Pokemon, allowing Gatomon to strike it with a strong kick from above.

"How'd you like my Mega Kick, you overgrown crab?" she spoke to herself (which went unheard by Nia and Malos). Before the Lysaat could counterattack, it was struck from both sides, courtesy of Pikachu and Rex. Seeing it being weakened from the double attack, Malos smirked.

"Time to finish it. Ready, Nia?" he called out.

"Ready!" she responded, tossing her rings into the air and onto Dromarch. Well, 'onto' is a bit of a stretch as the rings began hovering around the tiger Blade. "Get em, Dromarch!"

"As you wish, my lady. **RAGING TIGER**!" Dromarch pounced onto the Lysaat, rings slicing into it in the process. He then followed up with a turning swipe from his tail as the rings continue to slash. It did noticeably more damage than any of the previous attacks, Ash and Kari noticed. While that was going on, Malos passed his weapon over to Sever.

"It endssss here! **STORM EDGE**!" he called out as he unleashed a blast of wind with a swing of the tonfa. The blast slammed into the Lysaat and knocked it into its side. The result was immediate: the Lysaat ceased moving after taking the blow, killed by the attack. All of the non-Drivers present (except Jin) stood astonished at the fierce display. Ash and Kari, as well as their partners, were the most surprised by the attacks that Dromarch and Sever performed.

"This is the power of Blades...!?" Ash exclaimed softly, a bit speechless at the display, "Such power... I'd expect that from a Pokémon or Digimon...!"

"Nice... I'm sure glad these Drivers are on our side!" Rex commended with a smile, turning to Dromarch, who has retreated back to Nia's side, "You too, Dromarch! That Raging Tiger you called it was sweet!"

Dromarch appears amused by the compliment, though Nia scoffed at it. "No need to get hysterical, it was a walk in the park," she noted.

Before Rex could get another word in, Malos grabbed his and the others' attention. "That's enough yapping, you pair of brats. Let's move!" he called as he, Sever, and Jin, who oddly took no part in the battle, entered the ship.

"Someone's clearly impatient," Gatomon noted with a scorn as Kari and Ash walked over to Rex.

"Yea, talk about self-impor-" Nia added... before realizing that Gatomon spoke, "Wait, what!?"

Needless to say, the quintet were horrified by that slip-of-tongue... "Oops..." the Digi-Cat realized her error and covered her mouth with her paws. Unfortunately, the damage was done...

"Did that cat... just talk!?" Nia questioned, surprised, "It's not even a Blade! How can it do that!?"

"It's a long story..." Rex explained worried that their secret might be revealed too early, "Just promise not to tell the others about this..."

"Um... I'm not exactly one for turning my back on Jin..." Nia informed before sighing, "... But I suppose I'll let this slide..."

"I expect that my lady would want you to explain about this later, though," Dromarch added after calming down from the shock.

"I guess that's fair, but not now," Kari accepted, "We still have a ship to explore." With all that in agreement, the group entered the ship to catch up to Jin and Malos, not knowing that they were being watched by a certain Pupunin...

* * *

The inside of the ship was quite as murky as expected, though it did give it a mystical feel. Almost like they were exploring the ruins of an ancient civilization. Of course, considering that it's been underneath the Cloud Sea for who knows how long, it has been infested by a multitude of sea life, and not just the smaller Lysaats.

"Those are Krabbles," Rex pointed out, referring to a pair of crab-like creatures with absurdly large left claws and rocks for shells, "They're also common pests to salvagers, but only because they tend to latch onto any chests we pick up. So long as we don't provoke them, it's safe to leave them be."

With a scoff from Malos (apparently, he wanted to attack them to let off some steam), the group continued on, finding jellyfish-like creatures and crawfishes, called Medoozes and Crustips respectively. Those were noticeably more aggressive than the Krabbles.

"Go pick on someone else, why don't you!" Rex called out to the monsters as they were discovered by a pair of Medoozes. Pikachu started with an Iron Tail to slam one of them into the ground, giving Nia the opportunity to strike.

"Thanks for that. Jaguar Slash!" She slammed both her rings onto the Medooz, doing great damage. Since the monsters aren't as strong as the large Lysaat from earlier, there's no need for their Blades to attack. The Medooz attempted to float back up, but Rex held it down with what appears to be a grappling hook before swinging his sword at it for the killing blow.

"That'll teach ya!" he taunted, much to Nia's unamusement, though Ash appears to be focused on his grappling hook, which was attached to Rex's left arm.

"I didn't know you had a grappling hook," he commented.

"Like it? It's call an Anchor Shot," Rex called it as he showed it to the others, revealing that its tip is shaped like an anchor, true to its name, "Many salvagers use it to get back to land, but I tend to use it for a few other stuff, like fighting."

By the time Rex finished showing his Anchor Shot, Malos has finished off the other Medooz by himself (not like he needed help). With that, the group continued on. They soon reached a large room with a grating floor beneath their feet.

"Watch your step, you all. This ship isn't in the greatest conditions, so some of the flooring might be-" before Rex could finish, a loud crash could be heard. One look showed that Ash and Pikachu fell through the floor... right in the middle of a group of 3 Lysaats "... unstable..."

"Ssssaw that coming a mile away..." Sever commented as Kari rush toward the hole, making sure not to fall in herself.

"Ash! Pikachu!" she called out to her friends before turning to Gatomon, "Help them out, Gatomon!"

With an assuring nod, Gatomon leaped down the hole and proceeded to Lightning Paw one of the Lysaats while Pikachu Iron Tailed another. Rex soon jumped down with a Sword Bash to the third as the rest followed suit. Malos soon found himself surrounded by 2 Lysaats, a smirk prevalent on his face.

"Big mistake..." he said as be crouch down and gather his strength, "Chakra Burst!" With a yell, Malos unleashed his strength in the form of a shockwave, killing the two beasts. All just as well, as a Mega Kick from Gatomon silenced the remaining Lysaat, allowing Rex to glare at Ash.

"Um, sorry about that..." Ash and Pikachu sighed in defeat.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again. This ship is unstable enough as is," Rex informed as the group approached a large door. The door, however, burst open, but instead of another large Lysaat like last time, it was what looks like a Krabble, though with a horned shell made of stone. "A Pagul... These things are a bit more aggressive than their Krabble cousins..."

So, battle begins again, though it's prevalent that its hard shell makes attacking from the sides and back a no go. Nia went in with a Butterfly Blade, scoring some good hits on the front, but when Pikachu attempted to do the same, the Pagul blocked the attack with its large claw, mitigating the attack somewhat.

"If you want something done right, do it yourself," Malos retorted as he Hammer Bashed the Pagul, not only toppling it, but also causing its shell to fall off, exposing its body, allowing Rex and Gatomon to finish it off with a Sword Bash and Lightning Paw respectively.

Once that was taken care of, the group proceeded through the broken down door and, ignoring the docile Medoozes, proceeded down some steps. While walking, Ash took note of something, mainly Jin.

 _'I don't get it... Nia and Malos are doing most of the fighting alongside us...'_ he thought, _'Why is Jin not jumping in? Sure he doesn't have a Blade, but that's not exactly stopping Rex. So why...?'_

The group soon reached another set of doors. Unlike last time, nothing burst through, leaving them unable to open. Rex took notice of a nearby device at the room's center.

"This must be what opens the door," he noted before turning to what appears to be a power supply at the back, "It won't work without power, though. Let's see if there's a spare Ether Cylinder nearby."

And so the group proceeded through the other side of the room... running into a Crustip, unfortunately. Malos took the crustacean's attention with a provoking Sword Strike, allowing Rex and Nia to flank it from the sides.

"Gemini Loop!" Nia called out, striking the Crustip with her rings.

"Double Spinning Edge!" Rex followed suit, twirling his sword (and his body for that matter), twice to strike the Crustip. The double attack from both sides were unbearable to it, but it still pushed on, firing a water geyser from each of its pincers. Malos took the blunt of the attack with his shield while the smaller Pikachu and Gatomon dodged it completely.

"Pikachu, finish with Iron Tail!"

"Lightning Paw on its head, Gatomon!"

Issues ordered, the Poké/Digi duo struck the Crustip right in the head, finishing it off. Rex couldn't help but admire the work.

"Nicely done, you all," he commended before approaching what the Crustip was guarding. It appears to be a cylinder-shaped container. Whatever is inside is glowing orange. "Got the Ether Cylinder. Now we can go back."

Back in the room, Rex inserted the Ether Cylinder into the power supply. The moment he did, the device at the center lit up.

"This should be sufficient enough to open the door," Dromarch noted, promptly Jin to turn to the door.

"All just as well. I feel we're getting close," he informed.

"Well, whatever's waiting behind that door, we'll be ready," Ash responded, fist up front as Pikachu agreed. With that, Rex activated the device and opened the door. Even still, who knows what await the group behind... And what exactly is the so-called 'treasure' that lies at the end of it all...? Seems the only way to find out is to press on...

* * *

 _And that's the end of that. Next time is the first 'official' boss of the game. Hopefully I did it justice._

 _A couple things to note in regards to me writing this: First off, Gatomon's slip-of-the-tongue near Nia... was a literal slip-of-the-tongue... I completely forgot that Nia was still nearby when I wrote that. I thought it was the coast was cleared for Gatomon to speak once Jin and Malos left. Either way, I decided to just leave it in on the promise that Nia and Dromarch would be informed about it later._

 _Secondly is something much more minor: that sentence of Malos wanting to attack those Krabbles was based on an older idea where he would slaughter some Krabbles_ immediately _after Rex said there was no point, much to the disgust of Ash and Kari. Of course, I didn't go with it._

 _Anyway, hoped you liked it. See you in the next part._


	5. Aligo & Betrayal

**Author's Note:** _Well, we're now at the first official boss in the game: the Megalo Aligo. I consider this the actual first boss because the Lethal Lysaat King in the previous part merely serve as a sneak peek at how Drivers would fight. Since this is the first official boss, I hope that I handle the fight well. If not... well, that doesn't exactly bode well for writing out the rest of the bosses..._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 5: Aligo & Betrayal_

* * *

The group was getting close to the treasure within the ancient vessel. Ash and Kari could hardly contain their anticipation. There was just one problem, which became apparent once the group entered through the door that Rex opened up.

Standing between them and the final door... was a large shark...

"Tell me I'm not seeing a giant shark with legs..." Kari questioned, not entirely confident.

"I'm afraid you are, Kari... That's an Aligo, one of the more... dangerous creatures we salvagers had to deal with..." Rex explained, sounding a bit more confident than Kari, but not by much, "They are natural-born predators. Aligos make mince meat out of anything smaller then them or even the same size as them. Though they're far from being the biggest threats in the Cloud Sea, they're also one of the hardest to avoid, so many people still consider them the reason why salvaging is a dangerous business in the first place."

Needless to say, Ash and Kari weren't entirely thrilled to hear that. "Just our luck that one had to block the way..." Ash commented with a sigh.

"'Natural-born predators,' you say?" Malos repeated, a smirk on his face as he pulled out his tonfa, "This might actually be a challenge I can enjoy."

"Heh, heh! Let'ssss see if the shark is still standing after I'm through with it!" Sever added, developing a psychotic grin on his lizard face.

"Just so long as you can get good hits in," Rex retorted, bringing out his broadsword, "Aligos are surprising nimble, even on land."

Ash snapped himself out of his fear and stared at the shark with a determined grin. "Well, Pikachu's pretty nimble as well. Right, buddy?" he spoke to his partner. Pikachu nodded and leaped into the battleground along with Gatomon. Sighing toward Malos and Ash, Nia took out her rings and prepared to battle as well.

With that, the battle begins. The Aligo starts off by sliding on its stomach, ramming through the group at surprising fast speeds. Malos mitigated the damage with his shield while Jin, Ash, and Kari (due to being far enough away) leaped away from it, as well as Pikachu and Gatomon. Rex and Nia, on the other hand, weren't so lucky.

"Two can play that game! Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu rammed into the Aligo's side at lightning speed before the land shark could even react. The attack was followed by Gatomon's Lightning Paw to its other side before the Aligo was blown back by Malos' Chakra Burst. Rex and Nia soon got back up from the slide.

"Grrr... Why you little-!" Rex yelled as he rushed forward toward the Aligo. It attempted to bite into the salvager with its large maw, but Rex dodged it and delivered a strong Double Spinning Edge on its side. Leaving it no time to counter, Pikachu rammed into the shark's head with another Quick Attack.

"We got it on the ropes!" Ash exclaimed. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite on the ropes as Ash thought. It leaped into the air and slammed back-first onto the group, knocking everyone, even Malos, back. Getting back up, Malos glared at the shark.

"Hey! No cheating!" he yelled out as he struck the Aligo with a Sword Strike, gaining its attention just as it's about to slide. Malos blocked the attack again, but since the attack was more focused, it shoved the black-armored man back a bit.

Nia was able to get back up and use her Healing Halo to heal the group. "We seriously need to put this thing in its place... Dromarch!" she called out to her Blade, tossing her rings to Dromarch's side.

" **RAGING TIGER**!" Dromarch unleashed a pounce-&-slash combo on the Aligo while it was still held by Malos' shield. It didn't like that as it tried to bite into Malos' weapon. The armored man got out of it, but that only prompted the shark to turn its attention to Nia and Dromarch. "My lady!"

The Aligo rushed toward Nia, maw gaping open for a bite, only for Gatomon to appear from above and Mega Kick it in its snout, forcibly (and painfully, might I add) shutting its mouth. Seeing the opportunity, Nia went with her Jaguar Slash, followed by Pikachu's Iron Tail, doing good damage before it knocked all three combatants away with a swing of its tail.

"There's just no end to its attacks!" Ash commented, eyes narrowed, "Just how much health does it have!?"

The Aligo took a look at Pikachu and Gatomon and, seeing that the two were getting back up, attempted to slide toward them. However, the slide was interrupted when something grabbed hold of its tail. Said something turned out to be Rex and his Anchor Shot.

"Hey, you overgrown seafood! Leave my friends alone!" he yelled as he swung at the shark with his sword. With it distracted, Pikachu, Gatomon, and Nia were able to get their bearings straight as Malos went in with another Sword Strike.

"This is starting to get old!" Malos commented, annoyed by the shark's antics, as he tossed his weapon to Sever, "You know what to do!"

Sever grabbed the blade and prepared to strike. "It'll be my pleasure... Hey, seafood buffet!" he taunted, gaining the shark's attention before winding up, "Catch thisss! **STORM EDGE**!"

Sever launched a blast of wind toward the Aligo, hitting it right in its head. The attack did noticeably more damage than before, and Ash thought that it was over... However, it wasn't. All it seemed to do is enrage the Aligo even more than before, something that Rex was quick to notice.

"Uh-oh! It's enraged!" he pointed out, "That's another thing that makes them dangerous: do too much damage to them without killing them and they'll become much more aggressive!"

"Great..." Nia replied sarcastically, "As if we don't have enough trouble with it normally!"

At this point, Ash gritted his teeth, not seeing a good way to end it... not without exposing their secret... "Guess we have no choice..." he spoke, which only Kari heard.

"Ash, are you sure?" she questioned with a worried face, "There's no telling what Malos'll do if he finds out."

"I know, but we can't prolong this battle any more," he reasoned, "Any longer and we'd be in big trouble. We need to finish this now."

Hearing all that, Kari nodded after a bit, convinced that this battle needs to end. "Alright, Ash. I trust you."

Ash smiled at that before turning to the combatants. "Nia! Malos! I need you to immobilize it!" he called out.

Nia was surprised by Ash's order, but nonetheless went through with it. "Huh? Okay..." she replied, dodging a bite as she went with a Butterfly Blade to stagger the land shark.

"Boy! Don't tell me what to do!" was Malos' less-than-pleasant reply as he uses his Hammer Bash to knock it off its legs. Before the two and Rex could move in to strike, however, Ash called them off.

"Everyone, back off!" he yelled out, startling the 3 enough to give Ash a clear shot, "Pikachu, time to finish this! _THUNDERBOLT_!"

Nodding to the command, Pikachu leaped into the air, his entire body covered in sparks. " _Piiikaaa... CHUUUUUU_!" he cried out as he unleashed a large stream of electricity toward the Aligo, engulfing it completely as it convulse in pain. Everyone that's not offworld, including Malos and Sever, were astonished by such a display of power. Even Jin was a bit surprised, despite his mask covering half his face. After a bit, Pikachu cut off the attack and dropped down onto Ash's arms. The Aligo twitch a bit after the shock before going limp and dropping down.

Everyone was silent as they took in what just happened. The silence was soon broken, however, by Rex. "WOW! That was awesome!" he cried out, knocking the others out of their thoughts.

"Such power..." Nia commented, still in shock over what happened, "I didn't know that rodent could do that..."

"Neither did I," Rex added before turning to Ash and Pikachu, "Your Pikachu's really amazing, Ash!"

"Um, well, thanks, I guess..." Ash replied a bit nervously, not just from the praise, but also because they had to reveal that in front of Jin and Malos.

"Y-yea... Pikachu is pretty cool..." Kari added, also a bit nervous for the same reason.

Malos stared at the trainer and Pokémon for a bit. _'Hmm... Those kids are stronger than I thought... especially the one with that rodent,'_ he thought, a smirk forming, _'They'll bound to be useful to our cause...'_ Sensing something, Ash couldn't help but stare at Malos, not exactly trusting the man.

Either way, with the Aligo defeated, the group now have access to the door that was blocked. One look from it, however, showed that it wasn't like the other doors. On its center was what appears to be a seal. Malos took a closer look at it as Jin went back to his side.

"Jin, check this out..." Malos called out, "Just like we thought... Addam's Crest..."

 _'Addam's... Crest?'_ Ash thought, unsure what to make of this. However, before he could ponder further, Jin spoke.

"You. Open this door," he called out to Rex, who was surprised to be addressed like this, "This door will only open to one of you people."

 _'Only to one of Rex's...?'_ Kari repeated in her head, remembering what Bana said about the clients being 'picky' as he called it, _'You're saying only someone from Leftheria could open this door? But why...?'_

Seems like Rex had the same idea as Kari, as Malos immediately yelled out. "Hurry up and do it! We're not paying you to ask dumb questions."

Annoyed by Malos' yell, Rex approached the door and, upon staring at it to figure out how it works, opened the door. It seems to lead to a bit of a hallway filled with strange, silvery-green mist. Rex went in deeper, but before Kari could do the same, Ash held her shoulder to stop her.

"Something's wrong with the floor..." he silently told the Digidestined, "I think it might be a trap..."

Seems Jin had the similar idea. "Wait," he called out, stopping Nia who was about to follow Rex into the hall, before turning to the salvager, "Over there. Open that door too."

Rex did as instructed and opened the next door, allowing the mist to dissipate. Once the mist was gone, the group followed Rex into the room. _'They needed Rex to not only open the doors, but also walk through the mist unharmed...?'_ Ash thought, alarms raised within his and Kari's heads, _'How could they have already known about what was in here...? Just what are they after...?'_

Soon, the group reached a chamber of sorts. In the middle of the chamber was a pedestal with a red sword stuck to it. Behind the sword was... a container with a girl sealed inside?

"Wh-what is that...?" Rex questioned in awe, "It's a... girl...?"

Ash and Kari got closer to get a good look at the sealed girl. Her hair was short and red, and her clothing were equally red with bits of armor. Thigh-high boots, very short shorts, short gloves, a top that exemplify her... notable assets, and a neck guard that's covered by her hands, though there's a faint, green glow within. Besides all that, there were also green gems adorned her boots, gloves, and hair, and she even had earrings made of the same green gems. Soon, Rex's gaze shifted toward the sword, which also had a green gem embedded on its guard.

"There's no mistaking it..." Jin spoke, startling Ash and Kari, "That's the Aegis."

 _'The... Aegis...?'_ Kari thought, wondering who exactly that girl is and why she was sealed away. Before the offworld couple could ponder this further...

"Hey, brat! Don't even think about touching that!" Malos yelled, causing Ash and Kari to notice that Rex was about to reach toward the sword. However, Malos' yell had the opposite effect as his hand brushed through the gem on the sword in shock. A field of energy erupted from the sword and surrounded Rex.

... What came next went too fast to follow...

Before they had a chance to blink, the group saw Jin appear behind Rex... his sword piercing the salvager from behind...!

There was a number of reactions from the group: Malos growled a bit, Sever merely sighed, Nia and Ash were shocked as were Pikachu and Gatomon, Dromarch flinched from seeing that, and Kari was utterly horrified, her hands covering her mouth. "Oh, god... No...!" was her only thought as she and Ash yelled out in vein.

" **REEEEX!** "

Rex lost all control over his body from the stab. It took all his strength to look down... and barely see Jin's blood-coated sword coming out of his chest, his vision fading.

"B-but... why...? he asked weakly, life draining out of his eyes. All Jin could do was sigh.

"Don't take it personally... It's an act of mercy..." he tried to reassured the salvager to no effect, "At least you won't be alive to see what's coming..."

With that, Jin removed his sword from Rex's now-lifeless body as it slumped down. Then with a flick to wipe the blood from the blade, he swung it at the red sword, scattering it to a million shards. Ash took ahold of Kari in a hug as she cried while Pikachu and Gatomon closed their eyes in sadness. Nia, meanwhile, rushed toward Jin, anger and horror in her eyes.

"Why, Jin!?" she called out to the masked man in desperation, "Why did you kill him!? What did Rex ever do to you!? Jin!"

Jin was silent through all that. Instead, it was Malos who spoke, and he seemed to be the only one besides Jin who's unaffected by what happened.

"Who cares. We got what we came here for. Let's ship out the Aegis," he informed, "Nia, call the Monoceros."

He then turned to the offworld duo. "You two are coming with us as well. You and your critters."

While Kari was still crying over the loss of Rex, Ash face morphed into that of anger.

"... No..."

Malos raised an eyebrow at that answer. "Excuse me?"

"I said... NOOO!" Ash yelled out, facing Malos with pure rage and tears in his eyes. His yell even startled Kari out of her funk, though her eyes were also covered in tears. "Like hell we're coming with murderers like YOU!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu yelled out toward Malos, electricity tinkling out of his cheeks in anger. After a bit, Gatomon also glared at the black-armored man.

"Rex was our friend! Our only friend in this world!" Ash continued as he tries (and fails) to contain his rage, "And you took him away from us... all because he touched a STUPID SWORD!"

Despite all that Ash has said, Malos' response was merely a scoff. "I don't think you quite comprehend your situation," he calmly informed, "Your critters has shown some interesting potential. That is all the more clear with that overgrown shark. You all would be quite helpful to our cause.

"Of course, if you refuse..." he left off as he stares at Jin, his sword still out, "Well, you saw what Jin did to the kid."

Ash glared between Jin and Malos, almost thinking if he should attack or not. However, his eyes caught a sight of Nia, who is pleading the trainer to back down with sadness in her eyes. He also took a look at Kari, who remained in his arms, and saw a fearful look, scared of what might happen to herself or, worse, Ash... Considering what Jin was capable of...

His eyes soften, though still filled with tears, Ash hung his head low in defeat. "... Pikachu, Gatomon... Stand down..."

Pikachu and Gatomon stopped their glares toward Jin and Malos and looked at their partners, worried looks prevalent on their faces. Malos, however, smirked.

"Good move," he commended, though it sounded condescending than anything, "Nia will escort you all out."

With that, he approached the container to haul it out. Nia approached the sadden quartet, feeling sorry for herself.

"... I know you won't accept an apology, but..." she started, but stopped herself upon seeing their miserable faces, "... Come on... we better get out of here..." Nia guided the quartet out of the chamber and after Jin and Malos...

One of only two friends that Ash and Kari made here in Alrest... and he was gone...

* * *

Atop a vast field of grass, Rex found himself waking up. His head was still groggy, but he could make out the sounds of bells in the distance.

"Urrggg... Where am I...?" he asked himself before looking all around, "Ash! Pikachu! Kari! Gatomon! Where are you guys!?"

No response... Just then, he noticed a tree sitting on a hill in the distance... and a lone figure standing by the tree. Wondering who the figure was, Rex rushed toward the tree. By the time he got close, he could see that the figure was a girl clad in red. Rex tried to get the girl's attention.

"It's such a mournful sound..." was the girl's only response, "It hasn't stopped. Not... Not in all these years..."

"Hasn't stopped... You mean that bell sound? Is the Praetorium somewhere nearby...?" Rex questioned, looking around once more, "Um, do you know where we are? And where are my friends?"

"This is... Elysium," the girl answered, shocking Rex, "The land where, long ago, mankind lived in harmony with their creator. It's where... 'we' were born."

Elysium!? The very place Rex was searching for!? The young salvager rushed to the top of the hill by the girl's side to get a good view of the area, and what he saw took his breath away. An endless sea of grass, a pure river by the hill's base, and even a modest town beyond the river, with sightings of a large city off in the distance. It was truly... otherworldly...

Rex then turned toward the girl and, upon seeing her short hair, recognized her from before. He then took notice of a green gem on her neck guard which was previously covered by her hands. It's in the shape of a cross.

"That Core Crystal..." he noted in astonishment, "You're a... Blade?"

"My name is Pyra," the girl introduced herself with a smile.

"Wha- Oh, r-right!" Rex stumbled around as he nervously attempts to introduce himself, "M-my name is-"

"I know you. You're Rex, right?" Pyra spoke, her smile not fading as if she's amused.

Hearing that the girl already knew his name raised alarms in his head. "How did you know my name?" he questioned, suddenly tensed.

"Just now, when we came into contact," Pyra answered, prompting a confused look from Rex.

"Just now...?" he repeated, "Sorry, but I can't seem to remember how I got here... or what happened to my friends..."

"You were... killed," Pyra informed, only now losing her smile, "Stabbed through the heart by Jin. As for your friends... They're held captive by Malos."

Hearing that shocked Rex, who now remembers what happened. Remembering the blade piercing his chest from behind... the blood coating the blade... his blood...

His mind now clear, Rex closed his mouth with his hand, nearly vomiting from the now-fresh memory. "I remember now..." he spoke softly once he was sure he wouldn't vomit, "That bastard stabbed me!

"This is bad! Everyone's on that ship is in danger! Ash, Kari, Pikachu, Gatomon, everyone!" he yelled out as he ran back away from the tree... only to instantly drop to his knees, "Wait a minute, I can't do anything if I'm dead! Titan's foot, if I wasn't dead I'd kick that guy's arse!"

As Rex slammed his fists onto the ground in rage, Pyra approached him. "Rex, I have a request," she called out, gaining Rex's attention," Can you... take me to Elysium?"

Standing back up, Rex stared at the red Blade, unsure of what she just said. "Elysium...? But... isn't that here?" he questioned, which was answered by a shake of Pyra's head.

"This world is merely a memory. An ancient, half-forgotten memory of what it once was," she explained, "The real Elysium lies in your world... atop the World Tree that rises from the heart of Alrest."

Rex wondered about Pyra's request for a while before realizing a problem. "I... I can't do that..." he answered, "I'm dead, remember? How exactly can I help you if I'm not alive?"

"I will give you half of my life force," she informed, her hand on the green gem on her chest, "That way... you can be revived... as my Driver. As the Driver of the Aegis."

Rex stared at Pyra for a good minute or so, pondering whether to take the girl's request or not. After a bit, he made up his mind, though he needed to make note of a few things.

"This place... Is it really your home?" he questioned, which was answered by a nod, "And it... really exists...?"

"Rex, I know what you're thinking, and you are correct," Pyra interrupted with a determined stare, "By... coming to this place, you can save the world. Save it from the slow demise that is its fate."

Rex took in all of what Pyra said. Saving the world from its demise... Finding Elysium for that purpose... That was the whole reason why Rex became a salvager in the first place! And now he have an opportunity of finally discovering this long, forgotten land... and save Alrest...!

There was only one answer he could give at this moment...

"I'll do it! Let's go to Elysium!"

Hearing Rex's answer brought joy to Pyra's face. "Thank you, Rex..." she thanked the young salvager as she uncovered her green gem from her hands, "Now, place your hand on my chest."

Rex was, understandably, taken aback by such a bold statement, but upon gazing at the gem on her chest, that befuddled look was replaced by a look of determination. With that, he gently placed his hand on the gem... and the two were instantly covered in an eruption of energy...

* * *

 _Well, that's the end of this chapter. All I really have to say concerning this chapter is that first move the Aligo performed. I don't know if it's just me or not, but I swear, that Aligo_ always _opens the fight by sliding into everyone! It's actually kinda ridiculous..._

 _Either way, I hope you enjoyed this. Next time is the end of the first chapter in-game. Hope to see you there._


	6. Rex & Pyra

**Author's Note:** _Well, here we are. The final part of Chapter 1. This doesn't mean this is the end of the fic already. This fic is planned to span the entirety of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It just means that this will be the last part I post for a while until I get the entirety of Chapter 2 completed. So, here's hoping this part goes well._

 _Enough beating around the bush. Time for the battle against Malos..._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 6: Rex & Pyra_

* * *

After a miserable bit of backtracking, the group, minus one salvager, made their way back to the entrance of the vessel, Malos holding the container with his left arm. It appears that the remaining salvagers were hard at work clearing the way, with some having brought back a couple of Crustips to grill, but that didn't matter to Ash and Kari... Not after what had occurred down in its depths... Ash, Pikachu, and Gatomon were still trying to ease Kari, who still remained in the trainer's arms. All the while, the storm hasn't dispersed. In fact, it only intensified, almost as if it's setting the appropriate mood. Just then...

"Nia. End them," Malos' spoke suddenly, prompting the cat-eared girl, who was also mourning Rex's death, to give the man a confused look, "The price for their lives have been paid in full. Now that we finally obtained the Aegis, the fewer living souls that know about it, the better."

This caught the quintet by surprise. Has Malos been expecting, no... wanting, the salvagers to die since the start of this job!?

"I-I can't do that!" was Nia's answer, "These people haven't done anything wrong!"

Malos gave Nia a disapproving stare. "I don't understand you," he said, "Now, now... Have you forgotten why you came here to begin with, Nia?"

Upon seeing more of Nia's hesitance, Malos' patience began to run thin. "Oh, for the love of..." he cursed before regaining his composure, "Fine, then. I'll do it myself."

" _I WON'T LET YOU!_ "

Startled by such a yell, Malos turned to where it came from... only to find Ash, his rage back in full force. Kari is no longer in his arms, having calmed down a bit.

"What's the matter with you, Malos!? Why would you resort to killing!?" Ash yelled out, "It's bad enough that Rex touched this stupid 'Aegis' you wanted, but these guys haven't done anything! You think you can kill them just because you can!?"

Malos stared at the angry trainer and his partner, his right hand already gripping his weapon. "You got to be- You seriously pick _now_ to blow a fuse?" he commented with a sigh, "What, did you forget that we could just kill you all like we did with your friend?"

Ash faltered upon hearing that, eyeing Jin who was in the distance, but he still stood his ground. "I admit... I was scared of what Jin might do to us..." he explained, "But I'm even more scared to find out just what you plan to do to the others! That's why... That's why we'll stop you!"

"Ash! No!" Kari yelled out, already seeing what's gonna happen. As strong as Pikachu is, he may not stand a chance against Malos, and that's without taking into account Jin...

"So, I'm guessing you have no intention of coming with us," Malos guessed, preparing to attack, "Then I guess you and that rat... will be the first to go."

Ash and Pikachu stood their ground, despite the looming threat of Malos or Kari's yells. Just as Malos attempted to strike... the container he was holding bursts into flames!

"What the!?" Malos yelled as he tossed the burning container to the ground, though the flames continue to grow until it literally erupted, catching everyone by surprise. Even Jin was shocked as he turned to see what was going on. The eruption then curved back onto the roof of the vessel in an explosion. Once the flames dispersed, the red-clad girl appeared from the explosion.

Before everyone could wonder what just happened, the floor directly in front of the door started glowing orange, until another eruption burst through. This one, however, was short-lived, revealing someone landing on the floor, carrying the red sword that Jin had destroyed... a someone who looked familiar.

" _REEEX!_ " Ash and Kari cried out in joy seeing Rex alive and well! Pikachu and Gatomon both had huge smiles as well. Nia and Dromarch could hardly believe their eyes. Malos, on the other hand...

"You! And that sword! CAN'T BE!" he yelled out, furious that the salvager could still be alive. Rex merely stood up from his fall, a glow coming from an X-shaped gem that's now on his chest, and pointed his new sword toward Malos and Jin, the edge opening up and allowing a blade of fire to erupt from the tip.

"It's kinda low to stab a man in the back... you bloody psychopaths!" he called Jin and Malos out before turning to the girl on the roof, "Pyra! Cover me!"

"I'm on it!" the girl, revealed to be Pyra, accepted as the two rushed toward Malos and Jin. Jin placed a hand on his blade behind him, but Malos stopped him.

"No, Jin," he said, readying his weapon once again. Sever appeared by his side, ready to do battle. "Leave 'em to me."

Rex came up to Malos and readied a Double Spinning Edge, powered by the sword's flames, only for Malos to block it with his shield. Pyra attempted to get to Rex, but a surprise strike from Sever caused her to move away. Rex stepped back in time to avoid a Sword Strike. But when he tried to get another hit in, Malos blocked it just as easily as before.

"Sorry, kid. I can't let the likes of you just claim her power for yourself," he spoke in the heat of battle, "This is as far as it goes!"

With that, Malos shoved the salvager back with a Hammer Bash, though Rex managed to regain his footing enough to go for another Double Spinning Slash. While this was going on, Ash, Kari, and Nia were watching the battle go on with their partners, too shocked by the turn of events to move.

"Give it a rest, Malos!" Nia yelled out to the black-armored man, "Can't you see he's just a child!?"

Malos actually heard Nia during the battle and merely scoffs at that. "A child!? Don't make me laugh!" he said as he landed a Sword Strike on Rex's sword, "This kid... has made himself the Aegis's Driver!"

 _'The Aegis's Driver...!?'_ Kari thought as she and Ash gazed at Pyra, who was still avoiding Sever's blows, _'You mean this girl... is a_ Blade _!?'_

"Spiral Savate!" Malos yelled out, striking Rex's sword with his blade before spin-kicking him away, staggering him, "Hammer Bash!" With a ram from the shield, Malos managed to topple Rex, making him a sitting duck, as he tosses his weapon to Sever.

"It'sss been nice knowing ya... NOT!" the lizard Blade taunted, winding up his attack, " **STORM EDGE**!" He launched a blast of wind toward the toppled Rex. The others were worried; that attack will do him in!

The blast made contact as a wind explosion occurred... but when the wind cleared, everyone saw Pyra standing in front of Rex, a hexagonal barrier of energy up front! Rex opened his eyes and saw Pyra... protecting him.

"T-thanks, Pyra..." he thanks his Blade, a smile on both of their faces as the barrier disappeared.

"You're welcome. Now, let's do this!" she replied as Rex got back up and rush toward Malos. Sever attempted to launch more Storm Edges, but more barriers appeared in front of Pyra, blocking the attacks.

 _'Those shields...'_ Ash noted, _'Are Blades able to create them normally...?'_

Once Rex got close enough, he went with a Sword Bash on the weapon-less Malos while Pyra distracts Sever. Though the attack was dodged, Rex continued the onslaught of attacks.

"Everyone, go! Now!" he yelled to all the other salvagers, urging them to leave the area, "Get out of here! Quick!"

They all didn't need telling twice as they hastily made their way on board the Maelstrom while Rex kept Malos busy.

"You all as well!" he called out to Ash, Kari, and their partners, "It's too dangerous here! You'll be safer on the Maelstrom!"

Ash and Kari could only gaze at the fighting Rex worriedly. "Rex..." they both muttered before gazing toward each other. Then, with a nod, they got moving, their partners on their shoulders.

Rex went in with a Double Spinning Edge, but Malos hopped out of the way and on the roof of the ancient vessel. Once he was no longer occupied by Pyra, Sever tossed his weapon to his Driver, who morphed it to a shortsword with the intention of blasting the evacuatees entering the Maelstrom.

"I don't think so!" he yelled as he prepared to attack, but before he could, he blocked an incoming fireball from Rex. An opportunity given, he and Pyra both took hold of the sword and, golden aura appearing on them and the ethereal line turning gold, leaped into the sky, sword held high as a massive blade of fire erupted from it.

" _It's over! **BURNING SWORD**!_" they yelled at once as they slam the blazing sword right on Malos. An explosion occurred, obscuring the results from the others in smoke. However, once the smoke cleared, they saw that Malos had block the attack thanks to Sever's own barrier, though they're both struggling.

"You brat! How can a nobody like you...!?" he called out before noticing something, more specifically Rex's eyes, "Those eyes... Now I get it. I guess I should've been more wary from the start."

"What do you mean, Malos!?" Rex questioned the man, still pushing on with Pyra. Malos merely chuckle.

"Heh, like I'd tell someone like you," he retorted, ready to fight back... except...

"Pikachu, _THUNDERBOLT_!"

Rex and Pyra leaped off the roof, just in time for a stream of electricity to strike Malos once Sever's barrier disappeared. " **ARRRRGGGG!** " he yelled out in pain as Sever stepped back. Once the stream ended, Malos glared at who attacked him... only to find that Ash and Kari remained on the vessel, their partners poised for battle. "You pair of BRATS!"

Rex turned to his offworld friends, a surprise look on his face. "Ash!? Kari!? I thought I told you to get out of here!" he called to them, worried that they might get hurt.

"Sorry, Rex, but that's not happening!" Ash retorted, a determined grin on his face, "We promised Azurda that nothing would happen to you, and though we failed, we still aim to keep that promise!"

"That's right, Rex!" Kari added, also sporting a determined grin, "You're our friend, and we'd never let anything happen to our friends! We're with you all the way!"

"Pika!" "You got that right!" Pikachu and Gatomon finished, leaving Rex to stared at his offworld friends with such joy on his face. Even Pyra was moved by their friendship.

"Everyone... Thank you..." he spoke softly before turning back toward Malos and Sever, who have both dropped down onto the floor. By this time, the Maelstrom has already left the area, all of the salvagers on board. This meant that the trio and their partners could go all out!

Rex, Ash, and Kari vs. Malos... _The battle was on!_

"Pikachu, start off with Quick Attack," Ash commanded. Pikachu sped right toward Malos for the strike, only for Sever to block it with his barrier. "Now for Iron Tail!" By the time the shield disappeared, Pikachu slammed his metal-coated tail on Malos' tonfa. Though this caught him by surprise, Malos still managed to swipe the Pokemon away. By this time, however, Rex and Gatomon both rushed in, ready to strike.

"Sword Bash!" "Lightning Paw!" The two jabbed their attacks forward, making their mark. Malos was shoved back as he glared at the trio.

"Where exactly did you get creatures like that talking cat!?" he called out, having heard Gatomon speak.

"As if we'd tell you, you freak!" Gatomon retorted as she moves in for another Lightning Paw. However, Malos met the Digi-cat's attack with a Hammer Bash, shoving her away. Before Malos could strike Gatomon with a Sword Strike, Pikachu got in between the two and blocked Malos' attack with an Iron Tail. Rex attempted to get close for another hit, but Sever got in the way.

"No can do, 'Aegisss boy!'" he hissed as he readied his claw. Luckily, Rex blocked the blow with his sword. Unfortunately, this gave the lizard Blade and his Driver the opportunity to move away, but not before shoving the salvager back with a Hammer Bash. Pyra rushed toward Rex's side.

"Rex, are you alright!?" she called out. Rex got himself back up and gave Pyra a smile.

"Yea, Pyra. Never better," was his response before getting back into battle. Throughout all this, Nia and Dromarch watched on, surprised to see the trio hold off Malos like that.

"Those kids..." she spoke to herself, "Could they really drive Malos back...?" Away from the battle, however, Jin looked on with interest.

Malos went in with a Sword Strike, knocking Pikachu back, though it left him open for Gatomon's Mega Kick, He straighten himself out before turning to Sever.

"Sever! I've had enough of these brats!" he yelled out to his Blade as he hand his weapon to him, "Skewer the lot of 'em!"

"Heh, heh, with pleasure!" Sever accepted as he rushed toward Gatomon and Rex, tonfa morphing into a shortsword, " **ENGAVE**!" He began stabbing the two multiple times at super speed, instantly pushing them back. Ash was appalled by such a brutal attack.

"You'll pay for that!" he shouted, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu shot another stream of lightning, this time at Sever. However, the lizard Blade conjured his shield once again, blocking most of the attack. Once the attack ended, Sever tossed his weapon back to Malos as he attacks the Pokémon with a Spiral Savate, knocking him back. Malos could only laugh at that.

"Your creatures are strong, I'll give you that," he commented, "However, they don't have any experience fighting a Driver like me."

Even though he was pushed back, Pikachu still held his ground. Just then, Rex came by and struck Malos with a Double Spinning Edge to the side, pushing him back.

"That may be so, but you forget that they're fighting alongside a Driver!" he called out before turning to Pyra, "Pyra, show 'em what you got!"

"You got it!" she accepted as Rex handed her the sword. She then rushed toward Malos to attack. Sever created another barrier around Malos, but that didn't deterred the red Blade as she twirled the sword around her, creating a ring of fire around. " **FLAME NOVA**!"

Thrusting the sword forward, Pyra caused the ring to explode around her, pushing Malos and Sever back despite the shield. Needless to say, they were unamused by Pyra's attack.

"You got this, you two!" Kari cheered Rex and Pyra on, despite not knowing the latter, "Gatomon, try a Lightning Paw from the back!"

"On it!" Gatomon nodded as she made her move around Malos. The black-armored Driver attempted to stop her, but a Sword Bash from Rex and a Quick Attack from Pikachu stopped him instead. Once she was in position, she pounced onto Malos' back and staggered him, allowing the other two combatants to do some serious damage with Double Spinning Edge and Iron Tail. The force of the attacks was strong enough to actually fling Malos back!

"Malossss!" Sever cried out to his Driver.

"Urg, I'm fine, Sever," Malos bluntly assured, "Focus on the battle!" He charged back in with a Sword Strike, which collided with Rex's Double Spinning Edge for a stalemate. Sever rushed over to Malos' side, but Ash had other plans.

"I don't think so, lizard-face! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" he called out. Pikachu unleashed a third stream of lightning, this time making its mark on an unsuspecting Sever.

" **YAAAARRRRRGGGGGG!** " the lizard Blade screamed in pain. Seeing this, Malos growled.

"Cheap trick, you brats!" he scorned as he focused his strength, "Chakra Burst!" He unleashed a burst of strength that pushed Rex back and even staggered Pikachu, cutting off the attack. This left them with a slightly charred, yet completely pissed off, Blade.

"Why you little... _YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!_ " Sever shouted as he rushed toward Pikachu screaming bloody murder. Before he could claw the yellow mouse, Gatomon got in the way and blocked the attack with a Lightning Paw.

"Nobody hurts MY Pikachu while I'm around!" she yelled out as the two stepped away from the stalemate, just in time for Sever to notice an upcoming Sword Bash going toward Malos. He blocked it with a Hammer Bash, but it's clear that Malos is getting outmatched as his Blade regrouped with him.

"You're really starting to get on my last nerves!" he shouted as Rex, Pikachu, and Gatomon all rushed toward him, "Sever, finish them!" He tossed his weapon toward his Blade, who's cackling madly.

"You all won't get away with _thisss_!" the lizard Blade taunted, raising the morphed shield above his head, " **DEATH MATCH**!"

A field of red energy erupted from the shield, hitting the three combatants. Though they tried to power through, it was too much, even with Pyra's shield, as they were shoved back. Seeing this, Kari turned to Ash, in worry.

"Ash, those three won't last much longer!" she noted.

"You're right... There got to be something that can stop him..." Ash replied, thinking of what to do to stop Malos. Just then, he got an idea. He instantly called out to Rex. "Rex!"

Hearing this, Rex turned his attention to Ash. "Yea!?"

"Pikachu and Gatomon are gonna try to get Malos' attention!" the trainer explained, "While he's distracted, I want you to hit him with a powerful attack!"

"You got it, Ash!" Rex agreed before turning to Pyra, "You with me, Pyra?"

"Always!" was her response. With that, the prepared themselves.

"Pikachu, drive them back with Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Pikachu sprayed his attack in front of Malos and Sever to cut them off.

"Gatomon! Go for a Mega Kick from above!" Kari called out as Gatomon leaped up. With Malos and Sever distracted, the Digi-cat dived feet-first toward the Driver. Malos, however, noticed this and blocked the attack with his shield, aided by Sever's own shield.

"Ha! Is that the best you can do, furball?" he taunted. Instead of a scowl, however, Gatomon merely smirked.

"Not even close, freak! _NOW, REX_!" she shouted. Rex rushed forward and launched a Double Spinning Edge. While both Malos' and Sever's shields blocked Gatomon's attack from above, it left Malos' lower area unguarded. The attack connected, shoving Malos back while Gatomon leaped off. However, Rex wasn't down.

"We got you right where we want ya!" he shouted, tossing his sword back to Pyra, "Pyra, finish 'em!"

Grabbing the sword out of the sky, Pyra rushed toward Malos for a swing. "It's over, Malos! **BLAZING END**!" She swung the sword multiple times before twirling it in such a fashion that it literally becomes a blazing sawblade. Sever attempted to block it with an energy shield, but it soon became apparent that it wouldn't hold. Sure enough, the shield scattered, flinging the Driver and Blade right into the ground.

"That's showing 'em!" Rex exclaimed along with Ash and Kari. Even Nia and Dromarch were in awed of the performance. Unfortunately, the battle wasn't over as Malos soon got up, though looking a bit exhausted. "Oh, no you don't!"

Rex rushed in for another Double Spinning Edge, colliding with Malos' Sword Strike. The two were locked in a stalemate.

"You're good, kid. It's no simple feat to control the Aegis like that," Malos commended, genuinely this time, "And those two kids with the critters are no slouches either."

Just then, Ash began feeling something... something from Malos. _'This feeling's back, but stronger?'_ he thought, _'What is Malos' doing!?'_

"However, don't think that you've been fighting me at my best," Malos continued, and before Ash could warn Rex, the black-armored Driver punched him right in the stomach with a fist covered in darkness. The blow flung Rex far to the ground, his sword sliding away.

"REX!" Pyra called out, rushing toward his side. However, Sever blocked the way, prompting Pikachu to defend Pyra with an Iron Tail. Meanwhile, Malos stepped closer to Rex, intending to finish him off. Ash and Kari got to Rex's side to protect him, but that didn't deter Malos.

"Don't get cocky... you little pieces of shit!" he cursed as he raised his blade up high, "SWORD-"

" **WILD ROAR**!" A blast of water came rushing toward Malos, who would have taken the full blunt of the attack if it wasn't for Sever, mitigating the damage with his barrier. A quick turn revealed it was Dromarch who launched the attack, moving in between Malos and the trio, with Nia riding on his back. "You're not touching Rex anymore!" the tiger exclaimed.

"You guys alright?" Nia asked the offworld duo. Even though Ash and Kari were shocked by this turn of events, they both nodded. By this point, Pikachu and Gatomon returned to their partners' sides.

"Thanks, Nia," Kari thanked the cat-eared Driver, causing her to smile before facing Malos, who was unamused by this.

"Get out of the way, Nia! Have you gone mad!?" he shouted at the defected duo.

"You're the one who's off your nut, wailing on a child!" Nia retorted, no longer afraid of Malos.

"Nia, I don't think you quite comprehend your position," he sneered, though Nia refused to back down, "You're starting to piss me off!"

While the two were having their standoff, Pyra, no longer obstructed by Sever, rushed toward the dropped sword and leaped toward Malos with a overhead slash. Malos blocked the attack, but Pyra expertly leaped off with a backflip, landing behind Malos. He attempted to slash at Pyra, only for the red Blade to dodge each blow. Ash and Kari were amazed by such skill; it was like watching a dance off.

Soon, Pyra leaped onto the vessel's railing and flung multiple fireballs toward Malos, who slashed them out of the way. Malos went with a Spiral Savate, but it was completely blocked by Pyra's sword. Instead of sneering, however, Malos smiled.

"You're pretty sharp for someone who's only just woken up," he complimented, "Takes me back to 500 years ago..."

By that time, Rex got back up and saw Malos and Pyra blade-locked. "Pyra!" he called out, though it fell on deaf ears.

"What's the deal with that appearance?" Malos questioned, getting a good look at Pyra, "I'm guessing your goal... is Elysium..."

"That... is _our_ dream!" Pyra retorted.

"Heh... Then I have no choice but to stop you!"

Malos attempted to shove Pyra away with a Hammer Bash, but she leaped away right on time. She prepared herself for another attack... except an uninvited guest decided to appear.

"Pyra! Watch out!" Rex warned the red Blade, but it was too late. Off the side of the vessel was a black, armored ship, the very same ship the quintet saw when they arrived in Argentum!

Soon, turrets appeared from the top, all aimed at Pyra, and opened fire, blasting Pyra into the ground. Rex, Ash, and Kari all rushed over to Pyra while Pikachu and Gatomon both went straight for Malos.

"Pyra, are you alright?" Rex comforted Pyra, who gave a weak smile.

"Mm, more or less," was her response. However, it was short-lived as the turrets aimed toward them. The group covered themselves for the barrage... only it never came. They look ahead, but was shocked to see Nia and Dromarch protecting them again, the latter being the one conjuring the barrier.

"Nia!" Rex called out. Nia and Dromarch attempted to hold the barrier for as long as they could, but even that couldn't withstand the barrage of shots. Soon enough, it scattered, dropping Dromarch to the ground and flinging Nia... _straight off the vessel!_ "Hold on! I'm coming!"

Rex broke from his group and jumped off the vessel after Nia. He managed to grab hold of her arm just as he shot an Anchor Shot toward the vessel's railings, stopping their fall. Even Malos was impressed by the salvager's skill as he shoved Pikachu back with a Spiral Savate.

"You're a tough one to be sure, kid," he commended, blocking a Lightning Paw from Gatomon, "However, there's only one way this can end."

As Malos said that, the turrets took aim once more. Rex noticed this and sighed in irritation. Before the turrets could fire, however, an explosion occurred around them. Malos was surprised at that.

"Rex! Ash! Kari!" an elderly voice was heard. Everyone turned to where the voice came from, and saw what appears to be a dragon flying toward them! Malos glared at the dragon while Jin merely stared at it. Rex, Ash, and Kari, on the other hand, were overjoyed to see it.

" _AZURDA!_ " " _GRAMPS!_ " They shouted. Indeed, coming to their rescue was Azurda! The elderly Titan swooped around the vessel, gazing at the inhabitants... or more specifically, Jin, remembering something he heard long ago...

 _'Our paths won't cross. But should we, in fact, meet again... on that day...'_

"Jin..." the Titan spoke mainly to himself, "To think the day would come when our paths would, indeed, cross..."

"Azurda..." Jin said softly, as if replying to the flying Titan, "It pains me to have to face you as an enemy... But I cannot stop..."

Azurda started diving toward the vessel, breathing fireballs toward the foes. Jin readied his sword and, with lightning speed, slashed the fireballs clean in half. This, however, turned out to be a diversion as Azurda veered to his left toward Rex and Nia. Ash and Kari also ran toward the overboard duo along with their partners who joined them after battling Malos.

"Rex, Ash, and Kari! Get on!" the Titan called out, flying low enough for Ash, Kari, and their partners to hop on. Pyra hopped onto Dromarch as the two made their way toward Rex and Nia. They hopped off the vessel and, Dromarch running among the slanted walls, grabbed hold of the two before leaping onto Azurda.

"We're on, Azurda!" Ash informed.

"Fly us out of here!" Kari pleaded. Azurda was all too willing to comply.

Malos glared at the retreating Titan, Sever back on his side. "Don't let them get away! Open fire!" he ordered. On his command, the turrets began firing once more, with many of the shots piercing Azurda, much to Ash's and Kari's worry. However, the Titan was undeterred as he continue to fly away from the vessel. "Turn her around! Ready the cannons!"

"It's no use," Jin spoke, diverting Malos' attention away from the retreating Titan, "They're out of firing range."

Malos slammed his hands together in frustration. "Dammit! They gave us the slip..." he yelled as their mission ended in failure. Jin, however, started walking away toward the black ship, something that Malos was quick to notice. "We're not chasing them?"

"The Aegis has awakened. That's enough for now," Jin reasoned, "I'll have Akhos hunt them down." With that, Jin walked away, leaving Malos and Sever to stare at the Cloud Sea... the direction where the Titan had gone. Sever was noticeably upset by this.

"Grrr... I don't like this, Malosss!" he growled. Malos merely sighed.

"I know, but I suppose that'll have to do," he replied as he continue to stare off in the distance. Keeping in mind of Rex's friends, Ash and Kari, along with their partners, he smirked.

"Still, I have a feeling this is gonna get interesting..."

* * *

 _And that's that. I really hope you enjoyed that battle. Even though writing battles is tough, I did tried my best with this, and I hope it delivered on the climax of this first chapter._

 _One thing to note before we end this off: that saying that Azurda remembered. Those of you who played through the game in its_ true _entirety will probably recognize that line. Well, I'm here to say that, yes, I will be making references to_ **Torna: The Golden Country** _. This is the first reference to that expansion, and trust me,_ it won't be the last _._

 _Well, that should be it. Even though it'll be a while before the next part is posted. I hope these first six parts helped to at least get you interested in this fic. I may not be able to fully complete this in quite a while, especially with my motivation drops, but I truly hope I can at least get a good chunk completed (my hope is for Chapter 2 to be completed, maybe even Chapter 3). Until then, this has been:_

 ** _Chapter 1: Encounters_**


	7. Crash & Separation

**Author's Note:** _Well, here I am again. And you know what that means, right? Yup, Chapter 2 is fully completed. 11 parts over and done with. ... I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing... Again, apologies if it seems slow in some parts, I just don't want these parts to be_ too _long..._

 _Either way, we're set to begin the next chapter. So without further ado, let's begin..._

 _ **Chapter 2: Aptitude**_

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 7: Crash & Separation_

* * *

"... And so, Pupunin wisely ran away for dear life," Pupunin informed Bana via a telecall. He has been observing all that went on at the vessel's exterior before fleeing with the rest of the salvagers on the Maelstrom. Bana, however, was not amused.

"Wise!? Who wise now!?" he retorted, "You useless idiot! Why can Pupunin not even die properly!? What if they ask Bana to repay money, hm?"

Pupunin had a look of confusion. "Huh? Die? Repay who?"

Bana merely sighed at that. "Meh! None of your business," he replied, vaguely, "Anyway, tell me where Rex and Blade went."

"Rex, Titan, and friends ran away!" Pupunin answered, telling what he saw from the Titan's departure, "Went to south of Cyclus Sea. After that, Bana know as much as Pupunin! Storm was very thick, so Pupunin-"

"Pupunin lose them, yes?" Bana interrupted, losing more of his temper, "And then run away like coward, yes?"

The meager Nopon was growing nervous. "W-well, y-yes, but-"

" _Meh-meh-meh-meh-MEH_! Bana not wanting feeble excuse of Pupunin!" Ban shouted, slamming his ears on the desk, "Just get back here! You got lot of work to do!"

With that, Bana turned off the telecall with an agitated sigh. "Meh-meh-meh... Even pricey insurance Bana take out on Maelstrom got to waste!

"Still, how interesting..." he quickly calmed down, staring at a paper map of Alrest on a wall, "Heading southward from Cyclus Sea... In current season, that likely take them to Gormott."

He then turned to one of the dancers. "You, girl. Get Consul Dughall on the line."

The dancer tinkered with the telecall until it reactivated, revealing... well, quite a face.

"Why, if it isn't Chairman Bana! What an unexpected pleasure!" the man who could only be this 'Dughall' welcomed, "May I just say I admire how you rebranded those broken Core Crystals, and sold them to the dunderheads in Mor Ardain! Absolutely subline!"

"Bana did not call to hear pointless flattery," Bana retorted, temper rising as he shouted the next bit, "And blabbering about Core Crystals on unsecured line!? Is Dughall some kind of idiot!? What if Indol tap our communication!?"

Dughall faltered upon hearing he made such a screw-up. "O-oh, of course? I'm very sorry!" he apologized, though Bana did not care.

"Meh, forget it. We got bigger fishies to fry," he informed, "Listen up..."

* * *

This must be a new record for how many times Ash and Kari could lose conscious. Twice already, and they've just got to Alrest! They, as well as Pikachu and Gatomon, had just gotten away from Jin and Malos on Azurda alongside Rex, Nia, and their Blades, one of which, a girl named Pyra, turned out to be the reason why they came to the vessel in the first place! Unfortunately, their escape wasn't so smooth, courtesy of a few harpoons from a certain black ship, and they apparently crash landed in parts unknown.

Kari has soon regain consciousness, and the first thing she saw was a blanket of trees covering the skies. For a minute there, she thought she was back at the DigiWorld. She sat up and gazed around the area until her eyes fell on an unconscious Ash.

"Ash!" she called out as she rushed toward the fallen Trainer. Hearing his name, Ash slowly opened his eyes, in time to see a relieved Kari. "Thank goodness you're alright."

" _Kari...?_ " he spoke, sitting up as he regained consciousness, "What happened...?"

Kari gave Ash a worried look. "We seemed to have crash landed somewhere after Azurda-" she explained before cutting herself off after mentioning the Titan, remembering the wounds he got, "Oh, no! Azurda!"

"I'm right here, kids..." spoke an elderly voice that could only be Azurda. Ash and Kari turned to where the voice came from, relieved smiles on their faces... until they actually saw where it came from, their joyous faces replaced by that of horror.

"Azurda... _No..._!"

Ahead of them was a limped figure of Azurda. His wings were crumbled by the landing, his body bended in ways they shouldn't, and sticking out of his back and neck were numerous harpoons from the black ship's attack. The offworld duo couldn't believe their eyes.

"I am glad to see you two unharmed..." the Titan spoke in a calm tone, even though he's struggling to remain conscious.

"Hold on, Azurda! I'm sure there must be some way to help you!" Ash tried to reassure, only for Azurda to slightly shake his head.

"You are kind... to want to help someone you've just met..." he replied weakly, "However... It is already too late for me... I doubt you, who came from offworld, would've done anything to prevent it..."

Both Ash and Kari had tears in their eyes. Though they haven't been with the Titan as long as they had with Rex, they still considered him a good friend... so to lose him like that...?

"If you all could find Rex, please tell him... the days with him were the best I ever had..." Azurda requested, only for Ash to faced him again.

"You can tell him yourself, Azurda! We're not giving up on you!" he yelled, trying to contain his sorrows even as Kari lay a hand on the Trainer's shoulder, though it's clear even she believed there wasn't anything they could do...

 _'Oh, Azurda... Rex is gonna be so heartbroken...'_ she thought, remembering the salvager saying that Azurda practically raised him like, well, a gramps, _'How are we gonna tell Rex about this...?'_

" _GRAMPS_!"

Too late. The duo turned back and saw Rex rushing toward the dying Titan, Pyra hot on his tail. Upon reaching Azurda, Rex had a horrified look that surpassed those of Ash's and Kari's, and even Pyra looked like she was about to cry.

"It is good to see you uninjured, Rex..." Azurda assured the crying salvager.

"No...! Hold on, I should have some herbs!" Rex attempted to reassure, reaching into a bag to pull something out, only to be stopped when Kari held his arm. He looked at the Digidestined, who merely shook her head in depression.

"There's... nothing we can do about it..." was her only response. Ash was trying his hardest to contain his tears and anger at being unable to do anything, while Pyra gazed at the Titan with such sadness. Rex could only closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears in.

"Do not cry, my boy..." Azurda comforted the depressed salvager, "This is my fate... Though it shall end, my happiest times were spent with you..."

He then turned to the offworld duo. "Ash... Kari... While I'm gone, please take care of Rex..."

Ash wiped the tears out of his eyes and faced the dying Titan. "We will, Azurda... We will..."

"Rex will... be in good hands..." Kari added, also trying her hardest not to be anymore sad.

Relieved by the answers, Azurda turned back to Rex. "No parting is forever... We will surely meet again... when the ether flow wills it..." he conforted as blue light began to cover his body, "Until we meet again... Rex..." Once the light fully engulfed him, he disappeared into blue particles... Just like that... Azurda was gone...

" _Gramps_!" Rex yelled, attempting to reach for the particles in vein. When it was clear that Azurda wasn't coming back, he dropped to his knees in tears. Pyra turned away in sadness while Ash and Kari each lay a hand on Rex's shoulders in hopes of consoling him, having given up on containing their own tears. The quartet remained like this for a while, until...

"I told you not to cry, didn't I, Rex?" a more youthful voice called out, though it fell on deaf ears, "Rex... Rex..."

" _GRAAAAAMPS_!" Rex yelled one last time, letting out all of his sadness and frustration, only to stop when the voice called out one last time.

" _Reeex_!"

At that point, everyone turned toward the source of the voice... and couldn't believe their tear-stained eyes. Standing where Azurda laid was a small, fluffy creature with purple wings, a set of purple frills on his head, a tiny horn, and a gem on the chest. In short, it resembles some sort of chibified Azurda!

The quartet stared at the creature for a few seconds before reacting. "WHAAAAAAT!?" they all yelled out.

"G-G-Gramps...!?" Rex spoke in disbelief, "Is that really you...!?"

"Use your eyes! Don't you recognized me?" the creature, who is apparently a reborn Azurda, questioned. The others' response, on the other hand, were utter confusion.

"Um, well... Not really, no," Pyra confirmed, baffled at the turn of events. Kari, however, gripped where her heart is and sighed in relief.

"Don't scare us like that, Azurda!" she scolded, "You nearly gave me a heart-attack!"

"Yea, you can't just tell us to take care of Rex only to not be dead in the first place!" Ash added, a mixture of relief and anger, "How did you even do that!?"

"Well, what I did was maximizing my cellular regeneration to preserve all of my vital bodily functions," Azurda explained, "Of course, that seemed to only revert me into a larval stage..."

"Hmph, must be quite handy, being a Titan and all..." Rex commented, folding his arms and turning away with a huff.

"This isn't something just any Titan can do. Only one so advanced as myse-" Azurda boasted only to realize Rex's attitude, "Erm, Rex, are you angry?"

"I'm not mad," Rex defied, "More that I didn't want you seeing me blubbering like a baby..."

"To be fair, Rex had every rights to be mad," Kari commented, "We thought you were dead, then you turn up like this!?"

"Well, in my defense, I wasn't exactly expecting the regeneration to actually work," Azurda informed. By that point, Rex turned back to the now larval Titan, no longer huffing.

"So, how long until you're back to normal?" he asked, mildly curious.

Azurda gave the question some thought. "Good question... I'd say no more than 300 years," he answered.

" _300 years_!? I'll be long dead by then!" Rex reacted with shock. Pyra, Ash, and Kari were also surprised to hear that. "Where am I supposed to live!? Would I have to live on the streets!?"

"Perhaps this is an opportunity to fly the nest," the larval Titan suggested, though Rex was unamused by it.

"You mean pay rent? It's a massive expense, Gramps!" he informed before soon developing a smile, "Still... I am glad you're alright."

"That was quite a shock to us, though," Ash commented, "It was bad enough when Rex died only to turn up alive. What is it with you two and coming back from the dead!?"

That particular comment took Azurda by surprise as he flew up to their face level. "What's this about Rex dying?" he questioned, gazing at the X-shaped gem on Rex's chest, "Just what happened to you all?"

Yea... Ash ended up speaking too much as he covered his mouth while Kari facepalmed. "I'll explain everything later," Rex promised, "Right as soon as we find the others."

"Right, there's no signs of Gatomon, Pikachu, Nia, or Dromarch," Kari added, "I hope they're alright."

"Nia and Dromarch?" Azurda questioned, not familiar with the cat-eared girl and tiger Blade, "Do you mean that Driver and Blade from before?"

"Yea. They really helped us out there. If it wasn't for them, we'd probably be dead," Ash informed, "Any idea where they all are, Azurda?"

The larval Titan gave it some thought, though after a while, he merely shook his head. "Can't say I know. I remember crashing through many trees before landing here..." he said, pointing at the clearing of broken trees, "I'm guessing they fell off then. That's all I know, however."

"We'd probably have better luck following the trail Azurda left behind," Pyra recommended, "Perhaps we'll find them on our way."

"It's our best bet... Let's go, everyone," Rex called out, grabbing Azurda and placing him in his helmet strapped on the back of his neck.

"Ohoh! Now this makes for a nice change," Azurda commented as the quartet headed through the trail.

* * *

"REX! ASH! KARI!" Nia yelled out in hopes of finding her new friends. Unfortunately, no such luck... "They can't have gone far."

"My lady, we may be better off going deeper into the woods," Dromarch recommended, pointing at a trail of broken trees, "It's possible they may have landed farther ahead."

"Yea, good point, Dromarch," Nia agreed before heading through the path with her Blade. Along the way, however, their path was blocked by what appears to be a giant frog!

"A Brog... Just what we needed," she said sarcastically, pulling out her Twin Rings. Aided by the ethereal lines connecting her to Dromarch, he landed a Butterfly Blade on the frog, but other than staggering it, it hasn't halted its movement. "Never thought how hard it'd be without Malos and his Hammer Bash..."

The Brog leaped into the air and attempted to belly flop on Nia, but the cat-eared girl proved to nimble as she dodged to the side, prime position to land a strong Gemini Loop. It knocked the Brog back, but it also made it a bit more angry as it spat out a lob of spit in retaliation. Nia was, understandably disgusted.

"Ewugh! Disgusting!" she yelled, attempting to wipe off the spit on her jumpsuit, "You're gonna pay for that! Dromarch!" She tossed her rings over to Dromarch, where they proceed to twirl around him.

"Right with you, my lady!" the tiger Blade responded, focusing ether into the rings, " **AQUA WAVE!** " A wave of water erupted from the rings and collided with the Brog. It also seemed to rejuvenated Nia, wiping off all the spit in the process.

"Thanks for that," she thanked her Blade before turning back toward the battle, just in time to see the Brog rushing straight toward her. Before she could counter, however...

"Lightning Paw!" A white blur appeared and collided with the giant frog, interrupting its rush. Upon closer inspections, Nia could see that the blur was Gatomon! She leaped off the Brog and to Nia's side. "Now, Pikachu!"

" _Pikaaaa CHUUUUUU_!" Just then, a stream of electricity flowed into the Brog, who took massive damage due to be covered in water from Dromarch's Aqua Wave. Once the electricity died down, the Brog fell forward before perishing. Nia turned to where the electricity came from and saw Pikachu. Needless to say, seeing the two brought relief to Nia.

"Well then, thanks for that," she thanked the Poké/Digi duo, "And are we glad to see you."

"Same to you, Nia," Gatomon responded. It still weirded Nia out that the white cat could talk, but there are more important things to worry about.

"Now all we need to do is find Rex, Ash, and Kari, as well as the Titan that saved us," Dromarch recommended, "They should be just ahead."

"Good idea. I really need to make sure Kari's alright," Gatomon spoke, a worried look on her face. Pikachu's the same way, hoping he could find Ash soon. Nia kneeled toward them.

"Hey, don't look so glum," she comforted them with a smile, "I'm sure those two will be alright. Rex as well." Just like that, Gatomon and Pikachu cheered up slightly. Happy with the result, Nia hopped onto Dromarch along with the two creatures as the Blade marched onward toward the path. _'Hopefully they are alright... I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to them...'_ she thought.

* * *

 _And that's the end of that. Again, slow going, but I don't think that can be helped, at least on my end._

 _As I said, I'm not going to be posting additional parts until I'm done with the entire in-game chapter. So the fact that I'm posting should give you a good idea that I'm done with Chapter 2. Despite that and the fact that I still have a bit of steam to move on to Chapter 3, I'm going to be taking a break. For two reasons, actually. First off is the fact that I've admittedly been working on this story practically non-stop, with the only thing preventing progress was a bit of Writer's Block here and there. I think a break is needed, especially with my Birthday coming up. Secondly, however, is something I'll be talking about in a later part, when it's relevant._

 _Before I end of, however, I do have one question concerning what Bana was using to contact Pupunin. What even is that? I know that I called it a 'telecall' in this part, but I can already tell it's the wrong term. I can't call it a telephone since it also has that visual screen. So mind telling me what that's called?_

 _Anyway, see you next time..._


	8. Reunion & Explanation

**Author's Note:** _Here we are with the next part. Nothing more to say, so let's just get to it._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 8: Reunion & Explaination_

* * *

Not exactly a good day for Ash, Kari, and Rex, huh? After escaping from Jin and Malos, they ended up crash landing in some sort of forest. They also thought they were gonna lose Azurda, only for the Titan to degenerate into a 'larval stage' as he called it. So now, the group, joined by Pyra and the larval Azurda, headed deeper into the woods in order to relocate Nia, Dromarch, Pikachu, and Gatomon.

They soon find themselves on a bridge, only a large piece of a tree fell on top of it, blocking the way.

"No doubt one of the trees that fell during my crash..." Azurda commented, leaving Ash with a sigh.

"If Pikachu was here, or if I had my other Pokémon, we'd be able to clear this in no time," he informed, dejected. Just then, Pyra stepped up.

"Perhaps I could be of some help," she spoke as she walked toward the fallen tree. Once there, she held up her hand and, igniting a ball of fire on it, laid it on the tree, catching it on fire. The fire spread so quickly that the tree disintegrated in a matter of seconds. The group was impressed by that.

"Wow... Gone so quickly..." Rex awed.

"Thanks. It's what I do best," Pyra replied, feeling a bit bashful. Just then, voices could be heard.

"REX! ASH! KARI!"

The group turned toward the source of the voice and saw Dromarch marching toward them, Nia, Pikachu, and Gatomon on his back.

"Nia! Dromarch!" Rex called out to them, with Ash and Kari joining in, "Pikachu! Gatomon!"

The two groups met at the bridge's middle, overjoyed to see each other.

"Good to see you again, Nia!" Ash called out as Pikachu leaped back onto his shoulder, "Heh, you too, buddy."

"Right back at you," Nia replied with a smile as Gatomon reunited with Kari, "Now all we need to do is find that Titan who saved us."

"You mean me?" Azurda spoke, popping out of Rex's helmet, surprising Nia.

"Wait, what!? How!?" she questioned, baffled at the sight of the larval Titan.

"That's sort of a long story..." Rex informed with a sigh, "Trust me, we got a lot of them. Let's get somewhere we can rest, then I'll tell you about it."

"Including telling you the truth about me and Ash," Kari added, "It's the least we could do after you saved us."

"That seems prudent," Dromarch agreed as he turned back toward where he and Nia came from, "The exit of this forest is that way. We'll make camp up ahead."

"Sounds like a plan," Rex agreed as the reunited group went along the bridge on their way out of the forest.

* * *

The group made quite a bit of progress through the woods before finding a good place to set up camp, coincidentally near the spot where Nia fought against the Brog. With the help of Pyra, they managed to get a fire started as they sat in a circle around it.

From there, Ash and Kari recounted their tale to Nia and Dromarch, explaining about their world, Pokémon and Digimon, and how they got to Alrest, up to the point where Rex and Azurda found them. They also explained what happened to Azurda after their escape from Jin and Malos. Needless to say, Nia and even Dromarch were quite surprised.

"Wow... So that's why your partners looked so strange... and why Gatomon can talk..." Nia pondered, still trying to wrap her head around Ash's and Kari's situation, "Whole different worlds, huh... I can't even begin to think about it..."

"And the creatures you call 'Pokémon' and 'Digimon'... To think they could be so drastically different from the wildlife on Alrest," Dromarch added, also looking quite interested in Pikachu and Gatomon.

"Now you know how we felt once we heard about the Cloud Sea and Titans," Ash remarked, understanding their bafflement.

"Pika," Pikachu agreed, still finding it had to believe that the only landmasses on Alrest are the Titans.

"Though as crazy as that story is, I bet Rex has an even crazier tale," Kari noted, facing not only Rex, but also Pyra.

"Yeah, what gives, Rex? We saw you get stabbed by Jin back in that vessel!" Ash reminded, "How could you still be standing?"

"Well... In actuality, you can thanks Pyra for that," Rex answered, gesturing toward his new Blade, "Apparently, when I touched that sword before Jin stabbed me, it reacted to me. After, well, dying, I found myself in some sort of memory, and get this: it was a memory of Elysium!"

That caught Ash and Kari by surprise. "Really!? The same Elysium you've been searching for!?" Kari replied in shock.

"For sure. Pyra told me herself," Rex answered, "She promised to bring me back to life by sharing her life force with me. In return, she told me to bring her to Elysium. Knowing what this meant, I accepted."

Ash, Kari, and their partners awed at that story. "So this is an opportunity to finally find Elysium?" Ash asked with a smile. Rex soon joined him.

"Yea! I can finally prove it exists!" he exclaimed, "And besides... Pyra did saved my life. It's the least I could do."

Pyra couldn't help but smile shyly. "Aw... Glad I could help..."

Nia smiled at that as well before turning to the larval Titan. "Azurda, was it?" she called out, which the Titan acknowledged, "Listen, I never thanked you properly. For saving us, I mean. Dromarch said that you carried us all the way here."

"We owe you our lives, Titan," Dromarch added, also giving his thanks.

"No need to thank me," Azurda responded, "After all, you were the ones who saved Rex, Ash, and Kari."

At that note, the Titan turned toward the offworld duo. "And don't feel bad, you two," he reassured, "Even if you failed to protect Rex, he's still here among us. That's all I can ask."

Hearing that brought smiles to Ash's and Kari's faces. "Thanks, Azurda..." the Digidestined thanked.

After that, however, Azurda folded his arms. "Even still, this was precisely the reason why I was against you taking that job, Rex," he scolded, much to Rex's exasperation, "I told you those two were bad news. You're lucky I had the right mind of coming with. 'Take a nap' you say, like I was some kind of dodder-"

"I get it! I get it! I'm a terrible disappointment!" Rex interrupted, not sounding sincere at all, "Look how sorry I am!"

Azurda merely facepalmed. "Can you not muster even a shred of sincere remorse?"

"Sorry, but I can't," Rex replied, startling the others, "If I haven't taken the job, they would have gotten someone else. Then they would have got their hands on Pyra." Pyra was surprised by that last bit.

"Yea, I think we still have one thing left to discuss," Ash noted, facing Azurda, "Jin and Malos."

"You said that they were bad news," Gatomon added, "I think you better tell us why."

Azurda merely sigh at that. "Well... You see-" he started, only for Nia to interrupt him.

"Perhaps we should be the ones to answer," she recommended as she prepare to tell her tale, "Jin and Malos are members of an organization called Torna."

"Torna?" Ash repeated, confused by the name. Apparently, Rex and Kari shared his thought.

"Indeed, named after the Kingdom of Torna, said to have been lost 500 years ago," Dromarch explained. Pyra flinched from hearing that, but no one noticed. "From the inside, we're an organized group consisting of Drivers, all led by Jin, the masked man. From an outside view, however, we're labeled as terrorists."

"Terrorists!?" they all reacted, shocked that Nia was once a member of that group.

"That's right..." Nia confirmed, looking ashamed of herself, "We were labeled as such because we've been hunting down Drivers and taking Core Crystals from them. Our creed was to free the Blades from bad Drivers that would misuse them, but the rest of the world don't share our views."

"Nia! Why would you think that was right!?" Ash retorted, to no one's surprise. Nia flinched from his tone.

"Ash, please calm down," Kari consoled the Trainer, "Nia isn't like them. She's the one who saved us, after all."

"No no, Ash has a point," Nia responded, head hanging low, "Even though Dromarch and I were newcomers to the organization, that still doesn't excuse anything...

"Besides, the reason why we went with it... was because Jin saved us."

That caught the others by surprise. "Jin... saved you?" Rex repeated.

"Yea. He saved me from what would have been certain death," Nia confirmed, "In fact, every member of Torna, save Malos, were saved by Jin in some way or another. That's kinda why he's the leader; we all owed our lives to him and respected him."

Everyone was busy thinking about all of what Nia said. The way she explained Jin make him sound like a hero...

"So you can understand my surprise when I saw him... you know..." Nia continued, not in the mood of repeating what Jin did in that vessel, "I never thought he would resort to such measures... Malos, I can kinda see, but not Jin."

"And that told you that something was wrong with Torna?" Kari inquired, which was followed by Nia's nod. After a bit of awkward silence, Kari placed a hand on the cat-girl's shoulder, a smile on her face. "Well, for what it's worth, I think you made the right choice."

"Kari's right, Nia!" Rex agreed, "If it wasn't for you, we'd all be dead... So, thanks..."

Rex turned his head away in a bit of embarrassment, as did Nia. "Yea... don't mention it," she replied. Pyra smiled at that before turning toward the sky, noticing it getting darker despite the trees covering it.

"I think we better turn in for the night," she recommended, prompting Gatomon to let out a yawn.

"Yea, good call... After everything that happened, I need a good cat-nap," she pointed out. Nia giggled at that.

"You and me both, Gatomon," she agreed.

With that, everyone began laying down to sleep, Nia resting her head on Dromarch and Pikachu and Gatomon resting by their respective partners. However, it seemed the only person who couldn't rest was Pyra. She walked over to the edge of a nearby pond, many thoughts flowing through her head.

"Still awake, I see," a voice was heard. Pyra turned and saw Azurda hovering besides her.

"I can't seem to sleep... So many things to take in," Pyra responded.

Azurda nodded in understanding. "I get where you're coming. Between Ash's and Kari's story of other worlds, and Nia's story about Torna, it is a lot to take in,"

Pyra could only sigh at that, still facing the pond. After a while, however, she turned back toward the flying Titan. "It's good to see you again, Azurda," she remarked.

"Likewise, thought you've changed a lot since last we met," Azurda noted before facing the pond himself, "I wanted to thank you for saving my dear Rex, as well as protecting Ash and Kari."

"I was just doing what I could to help," she replied a bit bashfully. Azurda smiled at that, though his smile soon turned into a frown.

"That being said, I must know something," he began, "What you told them. Is that what you really intend?"

"Yes... It is my true desire..." Pyra answered with a bit of sadness. Azurda continued to stare at Pyra with a frown, though it soon turned back into a smile.

"I see. Well, that's good enough," he reassured the red Blade, "I have no reason to doubt you, Pyra."

Pyra smiled at that, though she soon developed a determined frown. "That said, I do have one other goal now," she informed, at which point, Azurda understood.

"Jin and Malos."

Pyra nodded at Azurda's guess. "I cannot allow them to continue with their current course," she explained, "No matter what, they have to be stopped..."

Azurda sighed at that reasoning. "The fate of an Aegis never changes..." he spoke to himself, "And I'm guessing Rex is gonna get mixed up in this."

Hearing that, Pyra held her head low in shame, prompting Azurda to reassure her. "I'm not blaming you," he consoled, "No matter how hard you tried, that boy would find some way to get involved. Ash rubbed me the same way; even though he's not from this world, he would just as likely jump in to help in anyway they could. Reminds me of Rex, I would say. I can see why Kari stays by his side to keep him in line."

Azurda laid one of his tiny hands on Pyra's shoulder. "All I'm saying is that you got some good friends in Rex, Ash, and Kari," he added, "Just promise me you'll take care of them in return. Alright?"

Pyra closed her eyes in reassurance before giving her answer. "I will."

Satisfied with the answer, Azurda flew back to camp to rest in Rex's helmet, leaving Pyra alone with her thoughts.

 _'Are you sure this is okay?'_

"I'm sure," Pyra responded, "Everything will be alright... I hope..."

 _'... Alright, I believe you.'_

* * *

Morning has came for our group. Waking up, eating a bit of breakfast (Gatomon made quick work on the Marine Stir-Fry they bought back in Argentum), and putting out the campfire, they are set to continue on. Rex, in particular, looked well rested if his yawn is of any indication.

"Right, I'm feeling well enough to move on," he noted with a smile. Azurda nodded, still sitting inside Rex's helmet.

"We should probably make our way to a town before long," Ash recommended before turning to Rex and Nia, "Any idea where we are?"

"This is Gormott, a province of the Ardainian Empire," Nia answered.

"Gormott, huh..." Kari repeated, remembering about what Rex and Azurda said about Alrest and the Titans, "Is that the name of a Titan, Nia?"

"More or less," she answered, "We're somewhere around its belly."

"So... this is Gormott..." Rex noted, looking around the forest. Just then, realization hit. "Hang on a second! That means we're at your home region, Nia!"

"What was your first clue, genius?" Nia teased with a smirk. Ash, Kari, and their partners, however, were confused.

"Wait, how can you tell?" Ash questioned.

"Nia is what's known as a Gormotti," Rex informed, "They're one of the races of humans that live in Alrest. You can tell they're Gormotti by their cat ears."

The offworld quartet stared at Nia, specifically her ears. "Huh, I was wondering about those ears," Gatomon commented, "I gotta say, it looked so wrong from my view."

"Says you!" Nia retorted, taking offense at Gatomon's comment. Dromarch responded with a cough to get the two back on track.

"In any case, we're better off exiting this forest first," he recommended, "From there, we'll have a better vantage point to locate a nearest town."

"Sounds like a plan," Rex agreed, "Lead the way."

With that, the group, led by Nia and Dromarch, continued on through the forest in hopes of finding a nearby town.

* * *

 _And that's the end of that. Nia is informed of Ash's and Kari's situation, and she informed the group of what she knows of her previous group, Torna._

 _Nothing more I can say since this is really meant to get the group fully informed of the current situation. Next time, they make their way through Gormott in hopes of finding civilization._


	9. Gormott & Uniques

**Author's Note:** _Here's another part of this Chapter. Most of what I need to say are at the end, so let's just get to it._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 9: Gormott & Uniques_

* * *

Feeling well rested, the moderately large group pressed onward through the forest, finding many monsters within including spiked caterpillars called Caterpiles, four-legged spiders called Arachnos, and rabbits with an arm-like tail called Bunnits. Ash, in particular, was interested in these Bunnits, saying they remind him of Aipoms back in his world. Soon enough, they began seeing light coming from the direction they're heading.

"Up ahead is the forest's exit," Dromarch informed, "We should be able to get a good view of Gormott from there."

Hearing that, Rex and Ash rushed ahead to see the view, with everyone else following behind. Before long, they all made it through the clearing... and are rewarded with a breathtaking sight.

Beyond the cliff they're standing on was a large, grassy plain filled with all manner of wildlife, flowing water, and large trees. Off in the distance, they could make out a small city, and beyond that was what appears to be a mountain range... with a stone head of a horned giraffe! Everyone stared in awed at the view of the entire plain, especially Ash, Kari, and their partners. Nia, however, had a smirk, seemingly proud of everyone's reactions.

"Oh my goodness... What a wonderful view...!" Pyra commented in awe.

"Yea... It's views like this that really make my journeys all the more rewarding...!" Ash added, a big grin on his face. Pikachu was too busy appreciating the view to reply.

"This is great!" Rex agreed with the Trainer, "Especially after slumming it on Gramps' back for so long!"

Azurda didn't seemed to appreciate that comment. "Hmph. It served you well enough," he remarked. As everyone continued to gaze at the scenery, Nia stepped forward and got their attention, pointing toward the city in the distance.

"Over there is Torigoth, biggest city in Gormott," she explained, "We'll accompany you as far as the city. After that, I'm afraid you're on your own."

That last comment took the others by surprise. "On our own? You mean you're leaving?" Rex asked.

"I'm afraid so," she responded, "After all, you could probably guess why I can't be seen with you."

Remembering her story, the group could tell that it involves Torna. "But you're not with them anymore, right?" Kari attempted to reassure Nia, but to no avail.

"That's as may be, but that doesn't mean the rest of Alrest knows," she reasoned, "If you all are seen with me and Dromarch, they'll label you as associates.

"Besides, even if they tried to kill me..." she added with a sigh, "... that doesn't change the fact that they're the onl-closest thing I have to a family."

Everyone couldn't help but feel bad for Nia. Kari noticed a pause in Nia's explaination, but decided not to comment on it, thinking it to be a sore subject for the Gormotti.

"Anyway, let's go," Nia called out as she and Dromarch continued on, moving down the left path toward the plains. Everyone else looked at each other for a bit before following after her.

They all made their way down the path and exited straight into the plain. On ground, it looked even more vast.

"If we're to make it to Torigoth before sundown, we better get a move on," Nia recommended, shifting her attention to a pack of strange, feline-like creatures nearby, with a particularly large one laying on the rock in the middle, "As well as not waste time with the wildlife."

"I'm guessing those are bad news, right?" Ash guessed as Pikachu gazed at the pack.

"They are if you're not careful. Feris are quite territorial and, unlike the wolf-like Volffs, are quite dangerous," Nia explained, pointing at the large creature on the rock, "Especially when backed by a particularly strong alpha."

"A Unique Monster, I'm guessing," Rex seemed to understand, though Ash and Kari are still curious.

"Unique Monster?" Ash repeated.

"Unique Monsters are much stronger than the typical monsters in the area," Nia explained, "Whether they're leaders of a pack, an outcast that's been kicked out, or just a particularly strong one, they are very dangerous monsters that are known to cause trouble to people passing by."

"I've heard of Unique Monsters during my salvaging works; there have been salvagers who got attacked by Unique Monsters during their salvaging runs," Rex informed, "Attacks from Perplexed Stoyan have been the most common, especially around Leftheria, though there have been talks of Holy Lancer Efrain. Oh, and don't even get me _started_ with Cloud Sea King Ken..."

Rex sounded annoyed at that last part, and even Azurda looked annoyed at that mention. "Don't remind me, Rex. I'm still trying to forget the fact we nearly got eaten!" he retorted.

Not wanting to comment on what Rex and Azurda experienced, Kari turned her attention to the names the salvager mentioned. "So, are all the Unique Monsters named?" she question.

"Yup. Each Unique Monster has a unique name that sets them apart from others of their kind. That's why they're called 'Unique' Monsters," Nia answered, pointing at the large Feris once again, "For example, that there is called Sad Bernard, a leader of a Feris pack in Gormott. It's not as dangerous as the other Unique Monsters, only having a danger level of 12, but it's still tough enough to give us trouble."

Expecting a question from Ash and Kari, Dromarch continued on. "Each Unique Monster is given a danger level depending on how dangerous they are to the populace," he explained, "They are labeled as such as a warning to people traveling in the area. Alrest is dangerous enough as is."

Dying Titans, war between countries, and Unique Monsters... Alrest is certainly looking more dangerous than Ash and Kari thought. "Yikes... We better watch ourselves, then," Ash warned, with Kari agreeing.

With that, the group continued on, seeing many more monsters such as the horse-like Eks, avian Rhoguls, and the aforementioned Volffs. However, as they get closer to the city in the distance, Nia started glancing around nervously, something that Pyra was quick to point out.

"Nia, is something wrong?" she asked politely. Nia, upon hearing Pyra speak, gave a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, it's just... There's something in Gormott that's rather... infamous," she explained, "It's called Territorial Rotbart, and it's known to pass through this area on occasions."

"Territorial Rotbart..." Ash repeated as he thought about what they spoke of earlier, "Is it another one of those Unique Monsters?"

"Indeed, and a dangerous one..." Nia replied, though still a bit nervous, "Unlike most Uniques here on Gormott, Rotbart has a danger level of 81..."

" _81!? It's that dangerous!?_ " Ash exclaimed, freaked out over a monster having that high of a danger level, and who could blame him!

"Yea... We better get to Torigoth ASAP," Nia recommended, though Kari appears to be looking elsewhere, both her eyes and Gatomon's widening.

"Does it happen to be a giant ape...?" she questioned in a fearful tone.

"It actually is. It's called a Gogol," Nia answered, a skeptical look gazing toward Kari, "Why do you ask?"

Kari need only point in her direction to answer Nia. Ahead of her was a gigantic red ape with an orange mane of fur... and it's looking right at the group!

" _RUN!_ " Nia shouted as the group started running away. Letting out a roar, the Territorial Rotbart began rushing toward the retreating group. The group ran as fast as they could, but the giant Gogol was just a bit faster as it caught up. Once it got close enough, it readied a punch and flung it forward.

" _PIKA!_ " Pikachu cried out, alerting the others of the approaching punch. They dove out of the way, just barely avoiding the giant punch, but the Gogol wasn't done yet. It readied another punch, this time toward Rex. He brought out his sword in hopes of blocking the attack, with Pyra generating a barrier to help. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the punch still managed to break the barrier and send Rex flying into the ground.

" _REX!_ " Azurda cried out from within Rex's helmet, seeing the young salvager hurt. Nia, on the other hand, glared at such a foolish action.

"You idiot! There's no way you're blocking a hit from this thing!" Nia scolded, getting on Dromarch for some fast travel. Kari and Gatomon, as well as Pyra, all rushed toward the fallen Rex, though Pyra's movement was a bit sluggish. Seeing the Territorial Rotbart marching toward the gathering, Ash had to think fast.

"Pikachu, get that ape's attention with Thunderbolt!" he ordered. With a nod, Pikachu unleashed his attack, zapping the ground directly in front of the giant ape. Noticing this, Rotbart turned to where the attack came from, its focus now completely on Ash and Pikachu.

"Ash! What are you doing!?" Kari cried out in worry once she noticed what Ash has done.

"Kari! Gatomon! Get everyone to safety! I'll distract this overgrown ape!" Ash exclaimed as he and Pikachu began running from Rotbart. Though still worried, Kari helped Pyra to lift Rex off the ground and move him to a safe location.

Once the Gogol was far enough away from the group, Ash and Pikachu held their ground against the approaching Rotbart. "Pikachu, see if you can hit its head with Electro Ball," Ash ordered. Pikachu hopped into the air, an electric orb forming on his tail, and with a flick of his tail, flung the orb toward the Gogol's face. The attack made contact, but all it seemed to do was stun it a tiny bit. "That didn't work..."

Angered by this, Rotbart prepared another punch to flatten the Trainer and Pokémon. Before the punch could connect...

" **WILD ROAR!** " Dromarch called out, launching a stream of water from his mouth toward the Gogol. While it had pretty much the same effect as Pikachu's Electro Ball, it at least distracted it long enough for Dromarch to reach Ash and his partner, Nia still riding on the tiger's back.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get on!" Nia yelled. Not needing to be told twice, Ash and Pikachu hopped onto Dromarch's back as the tiger Blade sprinted away, able to out-speed the Gogol despite the added weight. They soon came across a rock and, seeing the Gogol far enough away, hid behind it. Not saying a word, they waited until Rotbart was no longer looking for them. After a while, Rotbart lost interest and walked away, leaving the quartet sighing in relief.

"Man... That was too close..." Ash commented in relief. Nia, however, turned to the Trainer in frustration.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" she scolded, "If we haven't gotten there sooner, you two would just be a bunch of pancakes! What made you think that tackling this thing by yourselves was a good idea!?"

Even Pikachu couldn't help but scold his Trainer for his foolish tactic, prompting Ash to sigh in irritation. "Look, I'm sorry about that! I was just trying to keep that thing away from Kari and the others," he reasoned, turning to glare at his partner, "And it's not my fault that we always seem to be chased around on every journey!"

"You mean this has happened before!?" Nia yelled in frustration, "What gives!? If you're such an experienced traveler, then perhaps you'd learned not to do something like that!"

"My lady! Ash! There's no need for arguments, not when the worse has already come to pass," Dromarch attempted to defuse the argument, "And besides, Ash did managed to distract Rotbart away from the others. They should be safe by now."

Not seeing any need to counter such logic, Nia sighed, letting all of her frustrations go. "I suppose you're right, Dromarch," she responded in defeat before turning toward Ash, "I'm sorry for snapping at you..."

Ash merely scratched his his in embarrassment. "No, I'm the one who should apologize... It's just, I can't stand by while my friends are in danger. And yea, that did kinda got me in a ton of trouble back home..."

With all the tension gone, the quartet left the rock and started heading toward the city. "The others should be waiting for us in the city," Nia guessed. Not seeing a flaw with that, Ash followed along.

* * *

It took a bit longer than expected (Ash apparently guided the Unique Monster away from the city), but Ash and Nia, both riding on Dromarch with Pikachu, managed to reach the arch that serves as Torigoth's entrance. First thing they notice was a bunch of people they recognize standing under the arch.

"Hey! You guys made it!" Rex called out, looking much better than he did moments ago. Ash and Nia couldn't help but smile at that.

"Sorry we took so long. Mr. Reckless ended up leading Rotbart farther away," Nia retorted with a smirk. Instead of getting annoyed, Ash chuckled.

"Yea, sorry about that," he added, only to be cut off by Kari hugging him.

"Oh, Ash! Thank goodness you're alright!" she cried out in worried, despite the glare she's giving off, "Why must you do this every time!?"

"Sorry, Kari... It's just, I didn't want anything to happen to you..." Ash replied in worry, prompting Kari to sigh in relief.

"I'm happy that you care that much for me, but you should know I can take care of myself," she responded, soon developing a smile toward the Trainer, "I don't want you to always put yourself at risk for my sake. Okay?"

Ash smiled at that. "Okay, Kari. I'll try to be more mindful," he promised. Kari smiled at that as the two hugged.

Seeing the two like that, the others couldn't help buy smile. "Aw, that's so sweet," Pyra commented.

"Yea. Imagine my surprise when I found out they're a couple," Rex replied, prompting the others to turn to the salvager in surprise.

"Wait, what!? They're a thing!?" Nia exclaimed.

"Oops!" Rex covered his mouth, realizing what he said. At that point, Ash and Kari rejoined with the others.

"That's alright, Rex. It's not like we're keeping it a secret," Ash reassured the salvager with a smile.

"It's just the way you found out left us in a bad mood, is all," Kari added. Nia raised an eyebrow at that.

"So wait, how did Rex found out?" she questioned. Kari and Ash wore embarrassed blushes.

"He... caught us kissing..." the Digidestined answered shyly. The others reacted with shocked faces.

"He caught you all kissing!?" Nia exclaimed, trying hard to hold back her laughter, "Oh, man! Wish I would have seen his reaction to that!"

"Wow, Rex! Didn't Azurda told you to respect a lady's privacy?" Gatomon glared at the salvager, though she has a smirk on her face.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Azurda replied, facepalming, "Really, Rex... You should be lucky that that's all they were doing."

Rex was reduced to an embarrassed mess from that, and even Ash and Kari blushed from hearing Azurda say that. "Okay, okay! That's enough from that!" the salvager attempted to derail this conversation, "Let's just move on, shall we!?"

"Er, yea! Torigoth is just through this arch, right!?" Ash added, not wanting this conversation to continue from Azurda's comment. The group, calming themselves from Rex's embarrassment, headed through the arch and gazed at the city and all the people around. Most of them had cat-ears like Nia, so it stands to reason that they'd be Gormotti.

"So, this is Torigoth," Rex commented with a whistle, "Quite a lively place, isn't it?"

Nia, however, gazed at the city with a bit of sorrow. "It hasn't changed a bit..." she spoke to herself, though it seemed Pyra heard it.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Pyra asked politely, prompting Nia to shake her head.

"It's nothing..." she assured before focusing on the rest of the group "Okay then. I'll show you to an inn, then I'm out of here."

Ash couldn't help but stare at Nia with sadness. "It's a shame you can't stay, Nia," he commented, not wanting Nia to leave.

"Yea. We'll definitely gonna miss you..." Kari added, also sad to know Nia and Dromarch will be leaving soon.

"It is what it is," Nia hand-waved it, not wanting the sadness to set. With that, the group continued on. Rex and Azurda made note of Nia's attitude.

"It appears that Ash and Nia have gotten a bit more friendly with each other," Azurda noted.

"Looks like it," Rex agreed with a smile, "After that revelation with Nia being a part of Torna, it's nice to see the two getting along."

Unawared to Rex, Nia fell back from the group upon noticing a notice board. On it were 3 wanted posters. The first two were unmistakably of Jin and Malos, but the third one...

" _What the bloody hell is this!?_ " Nia yelled, getting the others' attention, "Don't tell me this is meant to be ME!?"

The others got close to the wanted posters, wondering what got Nia riled up. What they saw... was interesting, to say the least.

It's clearly meant to be Nia's wanted poster, but they got the face completely wrong. All they did was give her a literal tiger's head! It looks utterly ridiculous, so much so that Ash immediately burst out laughing!

"Oh, man! This is gold!" he commented inbetween laughter, "It's like they took your and Dromarch's heads and mashed them together!"

"Well... At least they got the hair right?" Kari added, trying hard not to laugh. Gatomon, on the other hand, failed in that regard, laughing as hard as Ash. Nia was unamused by the offworld duo's reactions, but before she could retort...

"A remarkable likeness to say the least..." Dromarch added his two-cents, walking by Nia's side to get a better look. Nia... did not appreciate that comment.

"Oi! What was that I heard!?" the Gormotti glared at her Blade, prompting Dromarch to step back.

"Ah, er, nothing..." he corrected himself, "I fear they may have conflated our countenances, my lady. How very awful..."

Turning her attention back to the poster, Nia had enough as she began shredding it into a million pieces and tossing it into the wind, though that did not stop the laughter coming from Ash and Gatomon. And throughout it all, Rex and Pyra had no idea what to make of it.

"Um, should we be worried?" Rex asked, unsure what to think about the situation.

"Perhaps we spoke too soon concerning Nia and Ash..." Azurda commented, already seeing Nia glaring at Ash and Gatomon.

* * *

 _And that's the end of that. As I said, I have a few things to talk about._

 _First off, Unique Monsters. Yes, I am incorporating Unique Monsters into this story. They aren't going to be plot relevant; it's mainly if they block the way to their next destination, which it will happen (some of the Uniques happen to block important paths, practically forcing you into battle against them). There is one lone exception to the 'no plot relevance' thing, but we'll get to that later. Though, those of you who played through the game could probably tell what Unique Monster I'm talking about._

 _By the way, the 'danger level' is indeed a play on their in-game levels. Figured that'd be a neat way of incorporating that as I'd figure Unique Monsters would probably be similar to wanted outlaws in-universe. And there was no way I was gonna leave out Territorial Rotbart! That thing is practically a mainstream of the Xenoblade games._

 _I was going to include a battle against Moonlighting Elwyn in this part, but the way Ash distracted Rotbart kinda left me in an awkward position concerning that, so I opted to scrap it._

 _Oh, and one reviewer was wondering if I was going to have Ash comment on Nia's wanted poster on how it looks like a combination of Nia and Dromarch. As you can see, I was way ahead. Yea, I had that idea from the start. Blame the fanfic_ **Trainer to Driver** , _by_ Ssb3Goku _, for that idea. I read Ash's reaction to the wanted poster then Nia, and I couldn't resist adding that in._

 _Anyway, that should be enough of what I need to say, so I guess I'll see you in the next part._


	10. Aptitude & Ambush

**Author's Note:** _Here's another new part. This is where the group actually gets to learn about Core Crystals and Blades. As such, I suppose this'll be as good as time to explain my other reason for taking a break, but I'll get to that at the end._

 _Either way, hope you enjoy it._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 10: Aptitude & Ambush_

* * *

"Fie! Who has the courage to heed the Empire's call!?" an armored soldier resembling the ones from Argentum spoke to a crowd of people, a blue crystal laying on a box in front, "Your strong heart today will build a strong Mor Ardain tomorrow! Of course, you get more than a salary! Pension and benefits are included! Distinguish yourself and you could even join the nobility!"

By this point, Rex, Ash, Kari, and the others approached the crowd of people. It has been a long trek to Torigoth, but the group managed to reach it with... relatively minimal wounds. They were on their way to an inn where they'll be separated from Nia and Dromarch when they heard some sort of commotion near the shopping district.

"For the glory of the Ardainian Empire and His Majesty Emperor Niall!" the soldier continued his speech, "Come now! Who wants to be the hero of tomorrow!?"

"What's going on over there?" Ash asked, with Rex and Kari wondering as well.

"Driver recruitment," Nia answered, though Ash, Kari, and even Rex didn't understood what that means, "The Empire's been recruiting Drivers from all over Alrest. It's been happening alot recently."

"The pool of potentials is ever shrinking," Dromarch added, "They must have run out of candidates in the military."

"What do you mean by 'Potentials?'" Rex questioned, not following along.

"Just watch," was Nia's only response before the group turned toward the crowd. Soon enough, a Gormotti teen began approaching the soldier, only to be stopped by a trio of younger Gormotti.

"Don't do it, bro! It's too dangerous!" one of the younger Gormotti warned. Seems like the four of them are siblings.

"What will we do if something happens to you? Who'll look after us?" another young Gormotti pleaded as the third tighten her grip on the teen's arm.

"I-I know it's dangerous, but if I can b-become a Driver..." the Gormotti teen reasoned nervously... only to be shoved aside by a much more burly Gormotti.

"Out of the way, pipsqueak!" the burly Gormotti said as he marched over to the box with the crystal, "Alright, c'mon Blade boyo! Show me whatcha got!"

With that, he grabbed the crystal. Just then, light began pouring out and engulfing the crystal and Gormotti. There was quite a bit of screaming from the Gormotti, prompting Nia to shake her head in unamusement.

"Yeah, he's done for," she dictated. Rex, Ash, and Kari wondered what she meant by that, until...

 _*SPUZZZZZZ*_ The light died down quickly, just in time for everyone to see blood gushing out of the Gormotti! The gush went quickly, but was still painful as the Gormotti fell down. Judging by the eyes, he was long gone. Rex, Ash, Kari, and their partners were shocked and disgusted at that display as 2 more soldiers carried the lifeless Gormotti away.

"Eurgh, what just happened!?" Rex questioned, trying his hardest to keep himself from vomiting while Ash and Kari shut their eyes in disgust. Even Pyra looked away in sorrow. "All that blood..."

Nia's response to that scene, however, was a simple sigh. "Couldn't handle the Core Crystal's power, I'm afraid," she answered.

"That's what happens when someone unqualified touches a Core Crystal," Dromarch explained, also not enjoying the scene despite the calm face, "Truly lamentable."

"Wait, you need a 'qualification' to even touch that thing?" Kari questioned.

"Perhaps 'aptitude' would be a better word," Azurda corrected, peeking out of Rex's helmet. Ash, Kari, and even Rex weren't sure what that meant.

"Aptitude?" Ash repeated, "But what for?"

"Perhaps it's better to show," Nia responded, gesturing the group back to the crowd. By then, the dead Gormotti was escorted away.

"Now, is there nobody else here ready to test their strength for the glory of the Empire!?" the soldier called out as he search the crowd before his gaze fell on the Gormotti teen from before, "Oh! How about you? What say you? Step forward, sir, with bold heart!"

The Gormotti teen marched forward, despite the worried protests from his siblings. "Don't... Don't worry. Your big bro's gonna be a Driver, and then we'll be set for life!"

With that, despite one last shout from the siblings, the teen grasped the Core Crystal. Just like before, both the crystal and teen was engulfed by the light followed by screams. It would appear that he'd suffer the same fate as that previous Gormotti, except...

"There's your 'aptitude,'" Nia pointed out, leaving the trio surprised. Then, that means...

The light soon died down... well, not exactly. Rather, it shrank and flew behind the Gormotti teen. What was once a Core Crystal in his hand was now a weapon, a lance to be more percise, with an intricate speartip. The teen stared in disbelief at the weapon before turning around to see the light, which has formed into a metallic, grey humanoid with horns coming out of his head and what appears to be a gem on his chest... a gem that resembles the ones on Dromarch and Sever! Seeing the humanoid, the Gormotti teen developed a large smile.

"I... I did it!" he exclaimed in joy as his siblings rushed over to congratulate their bro. Ash, Kari, and even Rex stared in awe and disbelief at what just happened.

"The Core Crystal turned into... a weapon?" Rex spoke in disbelief, staring at the weapon the Gormotti held. Ash and Kari, however, stared at the humanoid.

"Forget the weapon... That light formed a person...!?" Ash responded in shock, his gaze shifting toward the gem on the humanoid's chest, "And that crystal... Is that a Blade!?"

"Indeed it is, Ash," Azurda answered, "That is how Blades are born."

Needless to say, Ash, Kari, and their partners were all shocked at that revelation. These 'Core Crystals' give birth to Blades like Dromarch and Pyra? Speaking of Pyra...

"Hold on, when I touched Pyra's..." Rex attempted to explain, only for Nia to cut him off.

"She's a special case. Pyra's the Aegis, remember? The usual rules don't apply to her," she explained, "All that business with 'sharing her life force' isn't exactly normal."

"So wait, what exactly does 'the Aegis' even mean?" Rex questioned.

"Jin and Malos called Pyra the same name as well," Ash added, "Do you perhaps know, Nia?"

"Can't say. They weren't exactly clear with me. Remember, Dromarch and I were newcomers before we all met," Nia responded with a shrug, "All I know is that she's some kinda legendary Blade. Why don't you just ask her yourself?"

Rex, Ash, and Kari all stared at Pyra, who show relief at the now Gormotti Driver, for a bit, wondering just what kind of Blade she is...

"Let's go. No point sticking around for the enrollment ceremony and all that boring stuff," Nia recommended as she and Dromarch headed off through the shopping district, seeing that the main path is blocked by the crowd, "Might need to pick up some Core Chips as well."

"Core Chips?" Kari asked, sharing a look of confusion with Ash.

Nia was already at a shop, picking out what appears to be a computer chip. "Core Chips are used to enhanced a weapon associated with a Blade," she explained, paying the shopkeeper for the chip, "When they're first awaken, their weapons start out in a primitive state. But apply a Core Chip to it..."

Nia placed the chip onto her Twin Rings. With a clear _*click*_ and a flash of light, the rings morphed into a red ring, with the blue edges having profound spikes around. Ash and Kari were surprised to see that.

"... And their attributes changes according to the Core Chip," Nia finishes, "Their appearances also change."

"I at least knew about Core Chips," Rex commented before buying a Core Chip for himself. He applied it to Pyra's sword, only it did not change shape like the Twin Rings. He, as well as Ash and Kari, were baffled by this.

"I'm guessing this isn't normal," Ash guessed.

"Chalk it up to another 'Aegis' thing..." Nia shrugged before heading past the stalls, with the others following behind. They soon stopped in some sort of back alley, close to the inn according to Nia.

"This whole thing with Core Crystals... touching them to create Blades..." Rex commented in a bit of wonder, "It's pretty amazing when you think about it."

"Yea, minus the risk of blood loss..." Ash added, shivering from the gruesome scene before hand. Even Pikachu wanted to forget that moment.

"We Blades start out formless, anchored to the world only by our Core Crystal," Pyra explained, "Only the touch of a potential can imbue us with form and being. And it is by those forms we come to be known."

"So you see, kids, in some ways it is only the fated touch of a Driver that allows the Blades to exist at all," Azurda finished, leaving Rex, Ash, and Kari in awe.

"Why does that happen, exactly?" Gatomon asked.

"Now that is something no one knows," Azurda replied, shaking his head in denial, "It's just how it's always been."

"You are aware that Blades come in all shapes in sizes, correct?" Dromarch added. Ash and Kari nodded, informed of this by Rex back in Argentum. "Some people say the shape depends on the Drivers that resonate with them. It is truly a mysterious thing."

Ash and Kari wondered about these Blades. Rex, meanwhile, was back to thinking about Pyra. _'Pyra... She was sad when I met her,'_ he thought, _'Was she brought to life by someone once, just like a normal Blade...? What is the Aegis, really?'_

"Halt! Nobody move!"

Everyone snapped back to reality by the shout, just in time to see a bunch of soldiers from before surrounding them. They counted 5 soldiers in total, including one with a much more cone-shaped helmet that seems to dictate a higher rank like a captain. Ash thought it looked silly, though.

"Oh dear... Looks like Ardainian Soldiers." Azurda noted.

"Ardainian... as in Mor Ardain?" Ash questioned, remembering the talk about Mor Ardain and Uraya being at war with each other.

"What exactly is going on here?" Rex questioned the Ardainian Captain.

"That fugitive in your company..." the captain began, pointing at Nia, "is an enemy of the state! A member of Torna!"

Torna. That explains it. Seems Nia was right when she said the rest of Alrest wouldn't know of her defectment.

"Gormotti Driver, Water-type beast Blade," the captain continued, "Just like from the wanted poster!"

To prove his point, the captain took out a wanted poster with Nia's face... or rather the crude depiction of her. Everyone, especially Nia, was unamused by this, though Gatomon fought hard not to laugh again.

"How exactly did they recognize her from that?" Ash questioned in bafflement. Kari, however, wasn't paying attention to the poster.

"You got it all wrong! Nia's not with Torna anymore!" she called out, defending her friend.

"Big words from an associate," the captain retorted before turning to Rex and Pyra, "As for you, you look like a Driver too. Registration number?"

"5... 3... 9?" Rex attempted to answer, only for the captain to facepalm.

"Knock it off, you fool," he retorted, "All new Drivers must register with Indol. No number means you must be an illegal, unregistered Driver!"

Rex got his guard up from that statement. "You don't understand! I've only just become a Driver!"

"Hmph, tell that to the Consul," the captain responded, though Rex still had his guard up.

"Even if that's the case, leave Ash and Kari out of this!" he demanded, "They haven't done anything wrong!"

"Is that so?" the captain replied, unconvinced as he gazed at Kari, "Because from where I stand, they are all associates to that fugitive. You're all coming with us!"

Seems there's no way out of this. The quartet and their partners all stood their ground, ready for the impending clash.

"Rex, Ash, Kari," Nia addressed the trio, "Dromarch and I are gonna make our move. Get ready to run."

The trio was surprised to hear that. "What!? We can't juat leave you here!" Kari rejected.

"This is our problem, not yours," Nia retorted, but to no effect.

"You heard what that captain said, Nia. We're all 'associates,'" Rex explained, "This is our problem as well."

Nia couldn't disagree with that. "You all are so stubborn, ain't you?"

"I get that alot," Ash replied with a chuckle. Nia rolled her eyes but still smiled.

"Okay, we go on three," she informed, "Kari and I'll go left. You two go right."

Everyone was in agreement. "We're right with you!" Pyra reassured.

"That's right. Just give the word!" Gatomon added, ready to leap into action.

"Y-you're going to resist!? Seriously!?" the Ardainian Captain yelled in surprise, baffled that they'd resort to this.

With the plan set, Nia readied the countdown. "One... Two..."

"A-alright men! We've got them surrounded! Move in and take them down!" the captain ordered as he and the rest of the soldiers brought out rifles.

" _THREE!_ "

With that, the group rushed into battle, with Nia and Kari going for the two blocking the way while Rex and Ash go after the remaining three, including the captain. Gatomon started with a Lightning Paw toward one of the soldiers, smacking him in the head while Nia goes in with a Gemini Loop. The soldier faltered back, but his partner stepped forward and shot at the Digi-cat. Nia was noticeably worried for her.

"Gatomon! You alright!?" she called out. Luckily, the bullet hasn't done any fatal damage to Gatomon.

"I'm alright. It'll take more than that to stop a Digimon," she reassured before going for a Mega Kick on the offender. Meanwhile, Rex goes for a Sword Bash on one of the soldiers, which was followed by an Iron Tail from Pikachu.

"You got this, Pikachu! Rex!" Ash cheered on before noticing that the other soldier pulled out what appears to be a grenade, "Watch out!"

Unfortunately, Rex and Pikachu noticed it too late as the soldier tossed the grenade their way. Fortunately, Pyra already had a barrier up, protecting the duo from the blast. "Thanks for that," Rex thanked his Blade.

"No problem," she responded with a smile as Pikachu goes for a Quick Attack on the grenade tosser. The captain, however, wasn't liking how the battle's going.

"Such strength from mere children!" he commented in shock, "But we Ardainians aren't one to be outmatched!"

He stepped forward, rifle aimed toward Pikachu. "Think you can take me!? Furious Blast!" he yelled, shooting a barrage of bullets toward Pikachu. He didn't saw the attack coming and was pushed back by the rain of shots.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out, worried for his partner. Nia has just finished the last of the soldiers on her and Kari's side with a Jaguar Slash before noticing Pikachu on the ground.

"I got you!" she reassured the Trainer and Pokémon, "Healing Halo!" She released a wave of healing energy toward Pikachu, healing him from the bullets. Just like that, he was in good health. Not perfect, but it'll do.

"Thanks, Nia," Ash thanked the Gormotti Driver, who merely hand-waved in response. Rex, not liking what the captain did, charged forward.

"Let's see if you like this! Rolling Smash!" he shouted, slamming his sword toward the ground and releasing a wave of fire toward the captain and his two remaining soldiers. While the soldiers were knocked down, unconscious, the captain remained strong.

"You're definitely a Driver, through and through!" the captain yelled, not liking where this is going.

"Everyone! Let's move!" Nia called out. With only the captain remaining, there's no point in sticking around. With that, everyone made their escape... except that a wall of fire appeared out of nowhere, blocking the path. Blue fire, Pyra noted.

"Now what!?" Ash commented in an annoyed tone. The group turned back toward the captain, only to see he's not alone...

"Such a commotion... Just when I thought I could enjoy a little peace and quiet," the newcomer spoke. This person was clearly female with a blue gown that cut off to reveal her cleavage and midriff, though they're still covered by a faded cloth. Her arms and legs had long gloves and stockings respectively that have an appearance of flames, and even her indigo hair looks to be on fire. Curiously enough, her eyes were squinted shut, reminding Ash of one of his friends back home. Lastly was a blue crystal on the gown's chest, something that Rex and the others were quick to notice. She was flanked by two more Ardainian Soldiers.

"That crystal... She must be a Blade!" Rex noted.

"In that case, where's her Driver?" Kari questioned.

"My Driver is otherwise engaged at the present," the female Blade answered in a calm demeanor, "I am here alone."

"No... Driver?" Rex repeated, confused as to why a Blade would be without a Driver.

The Ardainian Captain, regaining his cool once the Blade showed up, laughed at the opposing group. "This is Lady Brighid, the Jewel of Mor Ardain! She is the strongest Blade in the Empire!" he boasted, "Even alone, she's more than a match for you!"

The group felt more uneased hearing that boast, but nonetheless held their ground. "Brighid... Jewel of Mor Ardain..."Ash repeated, still showing a defiant determination. The captain turned toward Brighid.

"Lady Brighid, these miscreants are terrorists working for Torna," he informed, "Please lend me your power to bring them to justice!"

"Torna..." she spoke with such calming venom as she scans the group, her squinted eyes laying on Pyra, "That emerald Core Crystal... Could it really be true?"

Pyra stood her ground, uneased from Brighid's gaze.

Her aim clear, Brighid brought out a pair of rapiers, ready to do battle. "Captain Padraig, you are not to kill them. Take these ones in alive," she ordered the now-named captain.

"Roger!" he saluted before turning to the two soldiers, "Men, bring the you-know-what!"

With the order set, the two soldiers retreated, leaving Padraig and Brighid alone with the group, though if what they said about the Blade is true, that doesn't exactly scream 'favorable odds.' Nevertheless, they held their ground.

"Bring it on! We're not afraid of you!" Ash challenged, "Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Pikachu sped forward toward the fire Blade. However, Brighid was quick on the draw, blocking the attack with one of her rapiers. Before she could strike with the other, Rex went with a Rolling Smash, sending a stream of fire her way while making sure not to hit Pikachu. The yellow mouse hopped away thanks to the diversion while Nia and Gatomon moved in for the attack. However, Brighid is unfazed by all of that.

"Heat Haze!" the fiery Blade twirled around, creating a small tornado of fire with her rapiers and repelling Nia's and Gatomon's attack, "I don't know what those creatures are, but I assure you, they won't be of much help here."

Seeing the opening, Padraig went with a Furious Blast, sending the two back even further. Rex rushed in front to protect them from further attacks.

"Heh, don't forget me!" Padraig taunted, rifle readied once more, "Flame Grenade!" He launched a grenade toward the salvager, though it was blocked by Pyra's barrier, allowing Rex to retaliate with an Anchor Shot. Meanwhile, Nia got back up and readied another Healing Halo, restoring herself and Gatomon.

"Grrr, you're gonna pay for that!" Nia yelled before turning to the Digi-cat, "Gatomon!" She lowered her arms to allow Gatomon to hop on. Once she's in place, Nia launched her upward, allowing the Digi-cat to land an aerial Mega Kick on Brighid. Unfortunately, like with Pikachu, the attack was also blocked by her rapiers.

"Predictable," was the Blade's only response as she uses another Heat Haze, driving not only Gatomon back, but also Pikachu who was rushing in, hoping to strike the distracted Blade. With the Poké/Digi duo knocked back, Brighid prepares to finish them off. "It's over. Will-o'-the-Wisp!"

With a flick of both rapiers, she sent a stream of blue fireballs toward the group. "We'll see about that! Rolling Smash!" Rex shouted, blocking the attack with his own stream of fire. Despite the attack mitigating Brighid's own attack, it still managed to bust through, pelting Pikachu, Gatomon, and even Rex who was in the crossfire trying to stop it. It was clear that the group was getting worn out.

"We're not making any progress here..." Ash noted, losing some confidence seeing Brighid's display. Even Pyra wasn't sure they'd win this.

"She's so... strong..." she noted, unsure how the group's goona escape at this rate, especially since the firewall behind them was still active.

"And this is without a Driver..." Azurda added. Nia, on the other hand, wasn't about to give up.

"Stop yammering! Just get her!" she shouted, rushing forward with Dromarch, "Ready, Dromarch?" She passed her rings over to her Blade.

"As you wish, my lady! **RAGING TI-** " Dromarch started, only to be cut off by a yellow net trapping him. Nia was shocked to see that happen, but failed to see another net capturing her. Rex and the others couldn't believe their eyes.

"Nia! Dromarch!" Rex called out to no avail. Padraig laughed seeing the scene as the two soldiers from before, presumably the ones who trapped Nia and Dromarch, appeared once again.

"This is an ether net! A Blade's worse nightmare!" he taunted, "Let's see you use your precious Arts and Specials when you can't draw ether from the atmosphere!"

"Even Blades have weaknesses. This is one such weakness," Brighid added, "Without the flow of ether, Blades are quite useless."

Ash growled at that. "Pikachu, see if you can free Nia and Dromarch! Iron Tail!" he commanded. Pikachu prepared an Iron Tail, only for Nia to stop him.

"Don't bother with us, Ash! Just save yourselves!" she cried out, "Get outta here, you all!"

"We're not gonna do that, Nia! We can't just leave you here!" Rex retorted.

"Yeah, you're our friend! There's no way we're leaving you here to be arrested!" Kari added. Pikachu continued with the Iron Tail, only for Padraig to stop him with a Flame Grenade.

"You've got your own mission!" Nia countered, "Just move it! Go!"

"Rex, Ash, Kari! We need to move!" Azurda added his own two-cents, "We're too outmatched here." The trio were hesitant to leave Nia and Dromarch behind, but before they could decide...

"I'm not letting you escape! Will-o'-the-Wisp!" Brighid shouted, launching another wave of fireballs toward the group, knocking them back and blocking the way.

"There's... no way out!" Kari cried, getting increasingly worried about their chances to escape. Just then, something unexpected happened. A blue, metalic ball appeared out of nowhere and crashed into a water pipe above the Ardainian troops, spilling water onto them violently. They were knocked into their butts and backs by the stream, and even Brighid appears weakened. Seeing the opportunity, Rex acted.

"Pyra, now's our chance!" he called out, holding his sword forward, allowing Pyra to grasp it, before turning to the others, "When I give the signal, we run!"

Everyone agreed with the plan as Rex and Pyra was covered in a golden aura. " _Here we go! **BURNING SWORD**!_" they both shouted, slamming the sword down and unleashing a massive fiery explosion toward Brighid, finally knocking her back and disabling the firewall!

"NOW!" Rex yelled as he and Pyra rushed out through the opening, Ash, Kari, and their partners following suit. Ash had a face of sadness as he ran.

 _'We'll be back to save you, Nia...'_ was his thought as the group ran, Ardainian Soldiers chasing after them. Seeing them retreating, Nia wore a sad smile.

"That's right... Run, and never look back..." she spoke softly. Getting herself back on her feet, Brighid gazed at where the group ran.

"To pull that off despite all this water..." she noted with intrigue, "So the legends of the Aegis were real... And those creatures with them... They're not Blades, yet they boasted strengths beyond that of a typical monster...

"Lady Mòrag will need to hear this."

* * *

 _And there you have it. Now then, I have quite a number of things to say._

 _First off, those Arts that Padraig were using, Furious Blast and Flame Grenade; they were Arts that appeared in Xenoblade Chronicles X. I figured I could give him some unique Arts to set him apart from the lowly Ardainian grunts (helps that those specific Arts could only be used with an assault rifle). Making note of this now as we'll be seeing that again in the same chapter._

 _Secondly, I said that I'd explain my second reason for the break, and with the introduction of Core Crystals, I figured now would be a good time. Those of you who played the game would likely be familiar with Rare Blades, a type of Blade that are on par with the unique Blades that Rex and Nia has. Well, I'm here to tell you that, yes, I will be giving Rare Blades to the group. However, because the group would be so big by the end (seriously, we're looking at seven party members, exactly like in the original Xenoblade), I have to limit myself to merely one or two Rare Blades per Driver. As for what Rare Blades to give them, I have a couple of ideas, but I want to hear what you all think. If you have a suggestion of what Rare Blade to give to which Driver, let me know. Especially let me know what Rare Blade to give to Rex, as he'll be the first to get one (specifically in the next in-game chapter)._

 _Speaking of there being seven party members, those of you reading this might have already guessed this, but Ash and Kari will indeed be getting Blades of their own. Despite what Brighid was saying about Pikachu and Gatomon boasting strength beyond a typical monster (and indeed, they are strong enough to go against a non-Unique enemy), those two aren't going to last much longer on Alrest. We'll be getting to the point where the_ _Poké/Digi duo just won't be enough, and it'll be that time that Ash and Kari will become Drivers themselves (I know_ exactly _what point it'll be)_. _As for what Blades to give them, I already have ideas for their unique Blades (seeing as Rex and the others have unique Blades of their own), but like with the others, they too will be getting Rare Blades of their own. It'll be a long time before that happens (after all, they'll need to get used to being Drivers first), but it will come, so leave suggestions for them as well._

 _However, there is something I must say concerning the suggestions: I would like it if you don't suggest Blades of the same element as the Drivers' uniques (i.e. no Fire-types for Rex, who already has Pyra). That, I feel, would be too redundant, not to mention that I usually have a team consisting of many different elements. In fact, I could probably mention that the elements of Ash and Kari's Blades would be Electric and Ice respectively, just to make giving suggestions easier._

 _Well, with that literal wall of text out of the way, I think we're done here. Til next time._


	11. Nopon & Ardainian

**Author's Note:** _Hello there. Might as well tell you that, due to certain circumstances (that are not bad, mind you), it'll be a long time before I get started with Chapter 3. I did say that I'd be taking a break from this, so it's a good thing I got Chapter 2 done beforehand._

 _Either way, shorter part this time. Hope you all don't mind._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 11: Nopon & Ardainian_

* * *

Going from bad to worst... Just when it seemed like they could finally relax in Torigoth, they were ambushed by Ardainian Soldiers, along with a Blade named Brighid. Not only could they not do much damage to the Blade, but Nia and Dromarch were captured by nets as well. Just when all hopes seemed lost, however, a strange projectile hit a water pipe, drenching the Ardainians and allowing the group to escape, minus one Gormotti and Blade, though.

They made their way further into Torigoth where they saw the second-half of the city. It resembled two different towns on the faces of cliffs, both connected by a series of bridges over the Cloud Sea below. Ash and Kari would have awed at the sight, but they were still being chased by soldiers.

Before they made a turn toward one of the bridges, a door behind them opened up, revealing a Nopon, though slightly larger than normal. "This way, friends, come this way! Tora help you escape!" he called out.

"Who are you?" Rex questioned, only for Kari to cut him off.

"Now's not the time, Rex! Let's go!" she interjected. The trio and their partners entered through the door just as the Nopon shut it, leaving the Ardainian Soldiers clueless as to where they gone. Once they were sure no one's chasing them, they let out a sigh of relief.

"Man, that was close..." Ash commented, all tuckered out. Even Pikachu was out of breath from this ordeal.

Kari turned to the Nopon who saved them. "Thanks. You really saved us there," she thanked with a smile. Getting a closer look, the Nopon, apart from being slightly larger than the norm, wore a blue, one-strap overalls and goggles. He certainly has an appearance of a worker.

"Though I gotta ask... why?" Rex questioned since they're finally in the clear.

"... No reason..." was the Nopon's answer, only to falter back immediately, "Sorry, that not true. Truth is, Tora not like those big bully soldiers. Was thinking to test out shiny new Boom Biter on big bullies. That's when Tora see friends running from them. Boom Biter missed and hit water pipe, but results not so bad, hey?"

Boom Biter hitting water pipe? So that means this Nopon, presumably Tora, was the one that allowed the group to escape! Ash and Kari were even more grateful for that.

"Well, thanks for that. If you haven't done that, we might be in trouble," Ash responded with a smile before turning to Pikachu, who's on his shoulder, "My name's Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu."

Pikachu held up a peace sign in acknowledgement. "My name is Kari, and my partner is Gatomon," Kari introduced herself, gesturing to the Digi-cat that's also on her shoulder.

"And I'm Rex," the salvager introduced himself last before gesturing to Pyra, "And this is Pyra, my Blade. So you must be Tora, right?" The Nopon nodded in confirmation.

"It's so lovely to meet you," Pyra greeted with a smile of her own.

"Good to meeting!" Tora greeted back before focusing on Pikachu and Gatomon, "Though Tora not familiar with partners on friends' shoulders. They don't look Blades."

"That's... a bit of a long story..." Ash responded, scratching the back of his head. Tora doesn't seem to mind.

"No worries. Friends can explain when get to house of Tora!" he explained, turning to had deeper into the hall, "In fact, Tora can explain other reason for save you there. This way!"

The group followed Tora down the hall, which wasn't a long walk, before arriving in a room that looks to be both a kitchen and a living room. Despite the size of it (it's definitely not meant for humans), it certainly looks homely.

"So you live down here?" Rex asked, curious about this Nopon.

"This just back door," Tora explained about the way they came in, gesturing toward another opening just across the room, "Front entrance over there."

Ash looked around before finding an opening that opens up into the Cloud Sea. "Is that the Cloud Sea down there!?" he inquired.

"Nice view, eh? Tora likes to just sit and watch Cloud Sea sometimes," Tora replied.

"Wow... I can tell why you like it," Ash commented with a smile, thinking fondly of his and Kari's first view of the Cloud Sea, "The Cloud Sea truly is a sight to see..."

"Indeed. You have a wonderful home, Tora," Pyra complimented, leaving Tora feeling bashful.

"Meheheh... Anyway, um... Rex-Rex," he called out, leaving the others confused about the name given, "Tora explain other reason I help you. You see... Tora always wanted to make Driver friends."

"Huh, interested in Drivers, are you?" Rex responded.

"But of course!" Tora replied immediately, "Tora think it amazing how Driver and Blade join spirits together to make big power! Tora really want to be sidekick of Rex-Rex!"

Ash and Kari could see where Tora's going with this. They're newcomers to Alrest and, with the exception of Malos, they already have a high opinion of Drivers and Blades. Though in regards to what Tora's calling Rex...

"Uh, you know my name is just Rex, right?" Rex informed, "One Rex, not two."

"What is point?" Tora replied, "Doublename just show Tora's respect! Respect for great Driver! Rex-Rex should be proud!"

"I'm not sure I've earned all that yet..." Rex pondered about the situation before ultimately caving in with a smile, "Oh, alright. You can call me Rex-Rex if it makes you happy. But instead of all this sidekick stuff, can't we just be friends?"

"Really? Tora will be friend of Rex-Rex and friends!?" Tora responded with a big smile before dancing around all happy, "Hooray!"

The group couldn't help but chuckle at that. "What a funny little guy," Rex commented.

"Yea. I like this guy already!" Kari agreed with a smile.

"He certainly reminds me of myself when I was young," Ash added with his own smile. Seems everyone couldn't help but smile at the Nopon. Of course, there were things to do.

"Hey, Tora?" Rex called out, prompting the Nopon to stop his dance, "You know a bit about this town, right? Do you know where the army takes prisoners?"

"Rex, you're not planning to..." Pyra interjected, already seeing what Rex's planning to do.

"We have to save Nia and Dromarch," Rex spoke with determination.

"Rex's right!" Ash added, "We can't just sit by while those two are in trouble!"

"I thought you all would say that," Azurda commented.

"Oh! You talk about Driver and Blade who were with Rex-Rex and friends before Tora's daring rescue?" Tora asked, which were answered by nods from the trio, "Mehmeh... Tora would have to ask around town for info like that..."

He sounded dejected when he said that, only to quickly go back to normal. "Before we do anything, time for food! All of today's running around make Tora hungry. Need food to help Rex-Rex and friends!"

"I'm a little peckish too," Azurda admitted while Pikachu and Gatomon agreed. Rex, however, rejected.

"Can't we eat later? I want to find Nia and Dromarch as soon as possible!" he reasoned... until a low grumbling was heard from his stomach. Rex blushed in embarrassment, though the others chuckled at that.

"Haha, stomach of Rex-Rex tell different story!" Tora commented.

Kai giggled a bit from Rex's stomach. "Reminds me of a certain somebody I know," she added, gazing at Ash who smiled sheepishly. Rex was still a bit unsure about eating, but Pyra interjects.

"Um, if it's alright with everyone, I could cook something," she recommended, leaving the others a bit surprised by that.

"You can cook, Pyra!?" Ash inquired with a big smile.

"Hehe, of course! As long as fire is involved, I can do almost anything. Fry, steam, grill - you name it," she claimed, conjuring a small fireball in her hand to prove her point before extinguishing it, "If you want ice cream, though... You might have to find someone else."

"Well, you can't have everything," Rex commented with a shrug. With that Pyra went to work finding the ingredients.

"While Pyra's making dinner, this is probably a good time to explain our situation," Kari recommended. So, once everyone's seated (except Pyra who's cooking), the group began explaining their situation to Tora, including Ash's and Kari's origins and how Rex met Pyra.

* * *

Inside what appears to be an office, the Ardainian Soldier named Padraig has been recounting the events to a moderately fat man wearing a yellow suit. One thing's for certain: he has quite an ugly mug.

"So you see, Consul Dughall, the kids and their Blades who seemed to be working with Torna got away..." Padraig explained, soon looking prideful, "But we apprehended the girl from the wanted poster, along with her Blade! The town is once again safe for-"

"Say, Padraig, do you remember what my orders were?" the man named Dughall interrupted, not looking to be in a good mood, "I told you to capture the Blade with the emerald Core Crystal, did I not? Do you recall me ever telling you to capture some little girl with barely a bounty on her head?"

"B-but sir! She's a member of Torna-!" Padraig attempted to reason, but to no avail.

"I'll say it slowly for you, just so we're clear," Dughall cleared his throat, "Get. The Blade. With. The emerald-"

"Um, Consul Dughall, sir?" Padraig interjected, "I-I'm not exactly sure what color 'emerald' is supposed to be..."

Hearing that, Dughall promptly snapped. " _ARG! Give me strength!_ It's green, you idiot! Emerald is green!" he yelled, picking up a green vase from his desk and shoving it toward Padraig's face, "Like this! Green! Get it, you clod!?"

" _Ohhh, Green!_ " the idiotic captain responded in awe, "I get it now. So emeralds are green, huh."

"You dunderhead! How many Blades do you see with green Core Crystals, or ANY color besides blue for that matter!?" Dughall yelled, anger increasing, "It's patently obvious! How do you mix THAT Blade up with some worthless cat monster!?"

"Actually, sir, technically I believe that's a tiger, rather than a-" Padraig explained, only to be rewarded with a vase to the head from an angry Dughall, knocking him down. Just then, another Ardainian Soldier walked though the door.

"What do you want!?" Dughall demanded, anger still persisting from speaking to Padraig, "Haven't you heard of knocking!?"

"My apologies, sir! It's just that Lady Mòrag has..." the soldier nervously explained, prompting Dughall to narrow his eyes as if to say 'get to the point,' "Special Inquisitor Mòrag is arriving from the motherland. Her ship is about to dock."

"Already!?" Dughall responded, anger quickly replaced with fear, "This... this cannot be happening!"

* * *

Within the walls of what appears to be a military base on Gormott, many Ardainian Soldiers lined themselves up, ready to greet their visitor. Said visitor was riding in a massive ship that appears to be a mixture of a large Titan whale and an armored battleship. Once the Titan ship docked itself, the doors opened up, revealing a woman wearing a very formal black coat, golden pauldrons on her left shoulder and hips, and a general's cap with a knight-like visor. She certainly carries authority.

She marched up to the lines of soldiers, meeting with Dughall in the middle. The consul is putting on a very fake smile, as if he's afraid of this woman.

"Special Inquisitor Mòrag!" Dughall greeted the woman, "To what do we owe this extreme pleasure? Had we but heard of Your Grace's visit, we could have prepared a suitable-"

"I don't stand on ceremony, Consul," Mòrag interrupted, her voice carrying authority, "I'd rather you just did your job."

"Y-your Grace? Someone of your standing deserves to be treated as such!" Dughall reasoned nervously, "You are His Majesty's representative! Please permit us to lay on a meal befitting Your Grace. Until then, we would be honored if-"

"You made impressive time. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow," a voice spoke. Dughall turned and saw the voice belonged to Brighid. He was surprised to see her there, though Mòrag looked to be expecting her.

"If we have found the Aegis, then there is no time to waste," Mòrag explained, "But I fear the passage has taken its toll on our engines."

Hearing that Mòrag heard about the Aegis made Dughall stutter. "The Aegis!? H-how do you-!?" he questioned nervously only to be cut off again.

"Is there a problem, Dughall?" Mòrag questioned, prompting the Consul to shut his trap, "Good. Now, I've heard you've captured a Driver from Torna. I am going to speak with her."

"Wha-? Why do you want-?" Dughall attempted to questioned, only to be cut off yet again.

"Dughall. I don't remember asking for your opinion," Mòrag spoke in a tone that this'd be the last time she'd tolerate any objections from the Consul.

"Y-yes, Your Grace!" Dughall surrendered, "I'll take you to her right away!"

* * *

Mòrag was escorted to the same office that Dughall was in earlier. She was sitting behind the desk, Brighid by her side. Ahead of her was Nia, who didn't appreciate being here.

"So, you are the Torna ruffian," Mòrag confirmed, gaze lowering to a wanted poster laying on the desk... the same poster with the crude drawing, "I must say you look a little different from your poster."

"A _little_ different!?" Nia retorted, having enough of this poster nonsense, "Whoever drew that should be the one in jail!"

Mòrag chuckled a bit. "Yes, I would be angry too," she agreed before getting to the point, "In any case, I was wondering if you would name your friends."

"If you're talking about Jin and Malos, then do what you want," Nia responded, still not in a good mood, "It's not like I'd call those trigger-happy Torna goons 'friends.'"

"I see," Mòrag replied with a sigh, making note of the name 'Malos' for later, "I'm afraid we have our wires crossed here. While I do appreciate you name-dropping your old associates, I'm actually not talking about Torna."

"Huh? You're not?" Nia questioned, genuinely curious.

"No. I was referring to your more recent traveling companions," Mòrag explained, "I've heard there were 2 boys and a girl, accompanied by 2 strange creatures and a Blade."

"Rex, Ash, and Kari?" Nia questioned, unknowing she just gave away their names.

"Well. That was easy," Mòrag said, prompting Nia to turn her head away from her goofup. Unknown to the Gormotti Driver, Mòrag wore a smirk, as if she's planning something...

* * *

 _And that's it. Again, sorry for the short part. It's just that the next part is particularly long._

 _And just sayin', considering the fact that WordPad doesn't have a reliable way of adding in the accents on the letters, it has been, and will be..._ interesting _adding in Mòrag's name throughout these parts... I know I had to do the same for the word '_ _Pokémon,' but I'm having to use_ _Mòrag's name far more often... (Oh, and don't bother telling me to use the_ actual _Microsoft Word; the computer I'm using doesn't have it, and getting it, last time I've checked, cost money)_


	12. Disguise & Planning

**Author's Note:** _Before we get to this next part, I have something to say in regards to the Author's Note in the last part. That would be the fact that I completely forgot to tell you another rule regarding the Rare Blades. While most of them are gotten through random Core Crystals, there are some Blades that can only be gotten via sidequests or other methods. The ones that are locked behind other methods are, in order of acquirement and not counting DLC Blades:_

 _Wulfric (story event)  
Vess (sidequest)  
Sheba (bought from a store)  
Kasandra (must be located)  
Praxis (sidequest)  
Theory (sidequest, and only after getting Praxis)  
Herald (must be located)_

 _That does not mean they are disqualified, far from it. It merely means it'll be a while before we can even get those Blades, so keep that in mind when making suggestions (especially considering Theory and Herald are pretty late-game)._

 _With that out of the way, let's get started._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 12: Disguise & Planning_

* * *

Though the group's stay in Torigoth went as far south as it could, what with Nia and Dromarch being captured by the Ardainian Empire, there was a silver lining. Helping them escape was a Nopon named Tora, who made no secret his excitement toward Drivers like Rex. After getting acquainted with one another, they settled down in Tora's home dining on Pyra's cooking, and well...

"Oh man! This is delicious!" Rex complimented as he dug into the food.

"Yum-yummy! So super very tasty!" Tora added in his own way.

"Simply exquisite! I haven't eaten this well in 120 years!" Azurda informed, also eating happily. Yea, looks like the meal was a huge success, with everyone eagerly chowing down. Ash especially as he's been scarfing down the food faster than the others, something that Kari was quick to notice.

"Slow down, Ash! The food isn't going anywhere!" she informed with a giggle.

"I can't help it! This is one of the best meals I've had, and that's saying a lot!" Ash responded, making sure not to choke himself from talking.

Seeing all this, Pyra had a proud smile. "Glad you liked it!" she thanked, "It seems like I did okay. I was worried I'd have gotten a little rusty over the years."

"It didn't taste rusty at all!" Rex complimented, only to realize what he said, "Uh, I mean..."

"I think what Rex meant to say was that you had nothing to fear with your cooking!" Ash bailed Rex out, with Pikachu giving a joyous smile at the fire Blade, "Seriously, it's as if Brock was here cooking for us, and he's a fantastic cook!"

"Ash's right, though I'm now getting a mental image of you and Brock meeting..." Kari added, smiling sheepishly at the mental image. Pyra wondered what she was thinking, though decided not to ask.

Despite all the praise thrown around, Tora stopped eating, a bit bothered about something. "Tora is curious, though. Pyra is Fire-type Blade, yes?" he affirmed, "When Tora broke water pipe, Pyra could still make fire!"

"Come to think of it, you're right," Azurda agreed, "That Brighid, the imperial Blade, was a Fire-type Blade just like Pyra, yet the water seemed to douse much of her strength."

"So... What are you saying?" Rex asked, not following along.

"This world full of elemental energy called Ether, yes?" Tora responded, to which the others nodded, with Ash and Kari already informed of it a bit from Rex, "Ether come in forms like fire, water, and wind. While battling, Drivers and Blades both draw power from Ether.

"But fire not good with water, and vice-versa," he continued, getting to the point, "Other Blade woman got splooshy with water, so fire powers all damp."

"So it's like in our world: Fire-type Pokémon don't do well against Water-types," Ash compared.

"But Pyra and I were able to use our powers with no problem!" Rex interjected, realizing where Tora's coming with this.

"That's true! But how was that possible?" Gatomon questioned, curious about Pyra.

"Tora wishes to know. Such strange occurrence..." Tora added.

Pyra looked around, suddenly very nervous. "Um, well... M-my powers don't come from fire..." she explained to the best of her abilities.

"Mehmeh!? If powers not fire, why look like flames?" Tora replied with another question, making Pyra more uncomfortable.

"Th-that may be a little complicated to explain..." she attempted to derail the conversation, but to no avail.

"Go on then! Tora like complicated things a lot!" Tora assured her, not noticing how uncomfortable Pyra was. Luckily for the fire Blade, the others did notice.

"Cut it out, Tora," Ash called out to the Nopon, unamused by his tactless questioning, "You're making her uncomfortable." Tora hung his head low in guilt.

"Everyone has things they'd rather not talk about. Right?" Rex added, addressing the fire Blade.

"I'm sorry... I'm sure I'll be able to tell you all about it soon..." Pyra apologized, though Kari smiled back.

"It's alright, Pyra. If you don't feel comfortable telling us, we won't hold it against you," the Digidestined reassured the fire Blade.

Ash agreed, especially since there's more important things to worry about. "First things first, though: figuring out how to free Nia and Dromarch," he reminded.

Tora sat back up to normal now that the topic of Pyra has passed. "Alrighty. Like Tora say before, need to ask around town for info," he recommended.

"A sound plan, though not one without flaws..." Azurda informed, "After that ruckus, we're practically wanted criminals by this point..."

He then turned to Pyra, Ash, and Kari. "Pyra sticks out like a sore thumb. They'll recognize her by her emerald Core Crystal," he explained, "Ash and Kari, on the other hand, are wearing clothing that's rather bizarre here on Alrest."

Very good points from the larval Titan. Ash and Kari gazed down to their clothing. They have definitely seen better days, having not been dried from that storm from before. That adding onto the fact that, yes, their clothing aren't found on Alrest, and they agreed that they'd stick out too much.

"Gramps' right..." Rex agreed, "It wasn't a problem back in Argentum because they weren't labeled as criminals. But now..." He and Pyra wondered how they'd work this out.

Tora, meanwhile, was thinking of something. "Hm... Ah! I got it!" he cried out, rushing into a room blocked off by a curtain. After a bit, he came back out, holding what appears to be a brown cloak. "Pyra! Put this on!"

Pyra took the cloak and draped it around her. She even put up a cat-eared hood, covering her red hair. The others wondered how this'll help... until they realized something's missing: the Core Crystal!

"Pyra's problem is Core Crystal being odd color," Tora explain, "So Tora's idea is to hide crystal with hood!"

Pyra took a look at herself, looking pleased with the result. "This looks like it could actually work!" she praised.

"Good idea, Tora! No one will think she's who they're looking for," Rex complimented the Nopon, getting a good look at Pyra. _'She really does look... cute...'_ he thought.

"It's a good plan to be sure, but I doubt it'll help our situation..." Ash informed, arms crossed, not convinced that a simple cloak could help their otherworldly appearance.

Tora took a look at Ash and Kari, sighing by the end of it. "Mehmeh, would have to wear new clothes to hide offworld friends..." he admitted, "Tora not having clothes suitable for friends..."

"What do you mean 'suitable?'" Kari asked, curiosity prevalent, though Tora started sweating bullets from the question, much to her confusion, "Um, was it something I said?"

"Nevermind that. We can just get some clothes while we search for information," Rex recommended, "I'm sure there's a shop around that sells clothes."

"Then I guess we'll stay here and wait for your return," Ash confirmed, "Don't worry about us. I'm sure we'll think of something to pass the time."

"Okie-dokie! Just don't go through curtain!" Tora warned, pointing at the curtain he went through before, "Tora hides secret there. Too soon to show friends."

"What kind of secret?" Gatomon question, thinking this is a bit suspicious, though Tora responded by waving his ears in anger.

"Tora said 'too soon to show friends!'" he retorted, startling the Digi-Cat.

Rex was curious as to what secret Tora is hiding, but there's more important things to think about. "Let's just get a move on," he said, leaving along with Pyra. Tora soon left, following behind Rex and leaving Ash and Kari, and their partners, in the house.

"Well... guess all we can do now is wait..." Ash spoke, already sounding bored.

"Yeah..." Kari replied, though sounding more worried than bored, "I hope Nia's alright... After what happened with her, I was hoping we could help her out..."

"Honestly, me too..." Ash agreed, "Torna member or not, she pretty much became one of our friends. There's got to be something we can do."

Pikachu climbed onto his trainer's shoulder and gave him a pat on the head. "Pika Pikapi..." he reassured, making Ash smile a bit.

"Yea, you're right, Pikachu. We'll get our chance to help once Rex and the others get back," he confirmed with a determined smile.

"Now that's the spirit," Kari commented with a smile of her own. Ash smiled back, but soon frowned a bit.

"That being said, we're no doubt going to encounter Brighid again..." he believed, leaving the others frowning as well, "Even with all of us working together, she was tough."

"True... We only managed to get away from her thanks to Tora hitting that water pipe," Kari remembered.

"If only I could Digivolve!" Gatomon spoke, slamming her paws to the ground in frustration, "Then Angewomon would be able to give her a beating."

"It's alright, Gatomon," Kari reassured her partner, "You managed to hold your own back on that vessel, even as a Champion-level. I'm sure we'll get through this somehow."

Gatomon felt more relaxed from Kari's pep talk.

"Still, if Brighid is that strong, who knows how strong her Driver would be..." Ash commented.

"I guess all we can do is hope we don't run into someone like that," Kari responded, with the others in agreement.

* * *

The offworld quartet spent their time talking about their time on Alrest. Soon enough, the others made it back.

"Hey, Rex!" Ash greeted, "Any luck?"

"Two good news, and one bad news..." Rex replied, holding out a pile of clothes toward the Trainer, "First off, we got you some clothing you can wear. We're pretty lucky the shops here sell Ardainian clothes."

Pyra nodded, holding her own pile of clothing toward Kari. "I hope they fit you two. We didn't know your clothes sizes and had to guess based on your sizes compared to Rex," she informed.

The offworld couple took their respective pile of clothing with a smile. "I don't think they'd be too bad," Kari reassured, "We'll be right back."

With that, the couple each went to opposite sides of Tora's house, away from everyone's eyes. It took a bit to change clothes, but after a while, the two regrouped with the others.

Ash was now wearing a black shirt underneath a navy-blue combat vest, black gloves, faded-blue jeans, and red and black combat boots, though he's still wearing the red cap from before. Kari, meanwhile, wore a white and pink strapless top, a beige skirt, disconnected white sleeves ending in leather gloves, brown travel boots, and a collar with a flower-like symbol on it. To the natives, it's as if they're looking at natives themselves.

"Wow...! Looking good!" Rex complimented.

"Thanks. I'm really liking this set of clothes," Ash agreed.

"Yeah, they really make us fit in to Alrest," Kari added with a smile. Pyra took a closer look at the flower symbol on the collar.

"Hold on, I don't remember that symbol being there before," she commented.

"I guess I wanted to add a bit of something to it," Kari admitted, "The symbol is actually the Crest of Light. Each of my Digidestined friends have a crest of their own like courage, hope, and love. My crest is light."

"And let me just say, that crest is absolutely perfect for her," Ash added, causing Kari to blush a little. Gatomon, however, got everyone's attention.

"That's great and all, but what about us?" she questioned, referring to herself and Pikachu, "Those soldiers are bound to recognized me and Pikachu."

Tora sighed at that. "Nothing that can be done. Better off hiding tiny friends in bag or something," he informed dejectedly.

Pikachu sighed in acceptance, as did Gatomon. "I suppose we got no choice. Not like our partners have helmets we could ride in like Azurda," she responded, gazing at the larval Titan in Rex's helmet.

"Either way, we're all set to help you save Nia!" Ash noted, getting everyone back on track.

"All just as good; we found out where they're most likely keeping her and Dromarch," Rex informed as Tora took out what appears to be a map of Torigoth and laid it on the table, "Apparently, there's an Ardainian Titan ship docked in the military base just outside Torigoth. Came in a few hours ago according to the townspeople."

"Townsfolks say Gormotti girl transferred to Titan ship," Tora added, pointing to the map that shows the military base, "Best bet is Nia."

"However, there's a catch, and it's the bad news I've spoke about," Rex continued, leaving the offworld quartet in suspense, "We have until tomorrow to free them. Otherwise they'll be... executed!"

The quartet were shocked to hear that. Nia and Dromarch... executed!?

"In that case, we better get a move on!" Ash recommended in determination, with Pikachu in agreement. Azurda, however, shook his head.

"Ash, now's not the time to be reckless," he chided, "Getting aboard that warship will not be simple in the slightest. We'll need an ironclad plan."

"Titan right," Tora agreed, "Army port is under heavy guard. Impossible to sneak through there."

Everyone stared at the map, wondering how they'll get into the Titan ship. Kari, however, noticed something. "Hey, what about that?" she asked, pointing at what appears to be a root extending toward the ship.

"That one of Grandarbor roots," Tora informed, "Grandarbor biggest tree in Torigoth. Roots extend all under city."

"It looks like it extends all the way to the ship. Think we could use that?" Kari continued. Pyra took a look at the root that Kari pointed out.

"You might be right, Kari. Look here," she called out, pointing at what appears to be a hatch on the side of the ship, "That looks like some sort of cargo entrance. We may be able to climb the root into the entrance."

"That should be perfect!" Tora agreed, "Security light around this entrance. At night, not even workers here. Perfect opportunity to sneak in!"

"That sounds like a plan," Ash agreed, only to notice Pikachu sniffing one of Rex's pockets, "Pikachu, what are you doing?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, pointing at one of Rex's pockets. Ash noticed a faint glow coming from the pocket. Rex reached into it and pulled out a blue gem that looks familiar.

"Is that a Core Crystal?" Kari asked, remembering seeing one during the Driver recruitment, "Where'd you get that?"

"Gramps gave it to me while we were out. He said it'll be handy to keep in case I need to awaken a Blade," Rex answered, leaving Ash confused about something.

"Wait, don't you already have Pyra?" he questioned.

"A Driver is capable of wielding multiple Blades," Azurda informed, "Many Drivers tend to have more than one Blade at their disposal. It helps to prepare for a number of situations. Plus, if a Driver already has a Blade, then they're safe to resonate without worry."

"Wow! In that case, how come you haven't awaken one, Rex?" Ash responded.

"Well, if all I had was Pyra, then it might've been a good idea," Rex replied, "But I also have you two to back me up. Despite that ending, we handled Malos rather well, I think."

Kari wasn't entirety convinced. "Still, there's no telling what we might run into," she voiced her concern.

"Tora did say that he'll help out, though," Pyra interjected.

"Tora, helping?" Ash responded, turning to the Nopon in question, "How are you gonna do that?"

Despite being put on the spot, Tora's response was a chuckle. "Tora will show Ash and friends," he replied, stepping toward the curtain, "Time to unveil secret of Tora."

After Rex put his Core Crystal back in his pocket, everyone gathered around Tora as he opened up the curtains, revealing what appears to be a workshop with a desk filled with tools, a closet, and a station with what appears to be a humanoid robot attached to it with cables. The robot had metal arms and legs, an armored chest with an orange glow that resembles a Core Crystal, a red cape with a white flower, and a white beret. Despite its robotic appearance, the head appears the most human, resembling that of a young female, complete with metallic, purple hair. Everyone's focus was on the robot.

"Behold, secret of Tora!" Tora called out, very proud of the robot, "An Artificial Blade!"

Everyone was surprised to hear that, and I mean everyone. "An Artificial Blade!?" Pyra repeated in disbelief.

"Wait, you mean you created an actual Blade!?" Ash questioned, mouth agape in shock, "Is that even possible!?"

"No one has done something like this ever!" Azurda answered, no less surprised by the reveal, "I can scarcely believe it myself!"

Tora turned back to the others, satisfied by their reactions. "You see, Tora have always wanted to be Driver of Blade," he explained, soon feeling dejected, "But Tora... Tora has no potential to awaken Core Crystal..."

"How could you know that? Surely you just have to try, and-" Rex started, only to quickly realized something in dread, "Oh... You did, didn't you..."

Tora response was a grim nod. "One year ago, Tora applied to Driver recruitment man," he recounted.

Everyone was shocked to hear that, especially having seen first hand what happened to that Gormotti who failed to resonate with a Core Crystal.

"Wow... I can't believe you actually survived that..." Ash commented, feeling sorry for the Nopon, "How is it that you're alive...?"

"Even if the resonation fails, there's still a chance that the resonator could survive," Azurda explained, "That Gormotti was one of the unlucky ones. That being said, there are still repercussions from a failed resonation..."

"Exactly as Titan says," Tora added, still feeling dejected, "It was bad... Tora had nosebleed for three days...!"

Hearing that last statement, however, knocked Rex out of his dread. "Just a... nosebleed?" he commented, rather unamused, only for Tora to face him in anger.

"What you mean, 'Just!?'" People die from loss of blood, you know!?" the Nopon retorted.

"Yeah, but from a nosebleed?" Rex responded, only for Kari to stop him.

"Nosebleed or not, it can't have been pleasant, dealing with that for three straight days," she spoke to the Nopon, still feeling sorry for him.

"Oh, Kari...! At least you're worried for Tora..." Tora replied before turning to the Artificial Blade, "But enough about near-death story. When Blade complete, even no-potential Tora can be a Driver!"

"This is simply incredible," Azurda commented, back to focusing on the robotic Blade, "You built this Blade from scratch, Tora?"

"Hm, this model, yes, but not entire project. Project started by Grampypon and Dadapon," Tora explained, talking about his grandfather and father, "They worked on prototype Artificial Blade before this came into being."

Soon, however, Tora sighed in sorrow. "But... Grampypon die, and Tora still not know where Dadapon go to..."

Ouch, that can't be good. On top of nearly dying from a failed resonation, Tora lost his grandfather while his father went missing... Everyone couldn't help but feel sorry for the Nopon, something that Tora was quick to notice.

"No need for crying, friends!" he called out in excitement, "Tora will finish Blade myself and become a Driver like always wanted! Then Dadapon hear about Tora's success and come back home, yes?"

Ash and Kari wondered if that'll truly work. Gatomon, however, noticed what Tora said in regards to the Blade. "Hold on, you mean it's not finish?" she questioned, "It looks done from where I stand."

"That because Tora only missing very few parts," Tora answered, "Need 3 Bion Connectors and Perfect Range Sensor."

"Bion Connectors...? Perfect Range Sensors...?" Ash repeated, completely unfamiliar with those items. Even Pikachu was confused.

"Perfect Range Sensor important part used to augment sight of Artificial Blade. Think eyes of friends," Tora explained, "Bion Connectors not as important, though. Merely used to keep hat on head."

"Couldn't you have just use some string?" Azurda commented.

"Anyway, only need those parts to complete Artificial Blade!" Tora exclaimed, only to drop his head down in shame, "But... Tora have no money at all...!"

"No money...?" Kari repeated, "Nothing at all?" Tora's only reply was a sad nod.

"So what you're saying is... you're asking for a loan?" Rex guessed. Tora faltered from that.

"Uh, not... loan, hehe..." he denied a bit nervously, "Um, closer to... generous donation!"

Needless to say, everyone weren't amused. "Just like a Nopon. Always shrewd when it comes to gold..." Azurda commented.

"B-b-but if Tora completes Artificial Blade, combat capabilities will be big help on mission!" Tora quickly explained, "May even be help against fire Blade woman!"

"Well, yeah, if it works you may have a point..." Rex agreed with a sigh, "So, how much exactly do you need?"

Tora thought about it with a nervous smile before giving his answer. "Oh... no more than 60,000 gold...?"

Needless to say, everyone was shocked to hear that. "Sixty thousand!? D'you want a kidney as well!?" Rex responded in disbelief.

"We never even gotten that extra 100,000 gold from Bana!" Ash added, "How'd you expect us to cover that!?"

"Calm down, you two," Pyra defused the situation, "I think we owe Tora our help. If it's just money he needs, I may be able to assist."

"Assist? How, exactly?" Rex questioned in curiosity as Azurda flew in front of him.

"Don't tell me, your b-!?" the Titan started, only to quickly be karate chopped by Rex, much to the surprise of the offworld quartet.

" _Don't even joke about that, Gramps_!" he spoke in a very unamused tone.

Pyra took off one of her emerald earrings and presented it to the others. "This is a natural crystal. It should fetch around 60,000," she informed, only for Rex to shove it back to her chest.

"No way! We can't let you sell that!" he retorted, not wanting Pyra to sell something precious to her, "It wouldn't be right! That's it, I'm paying for the parts myself!"

"You sure, Rex?" Kari questioned, "I doubt we have that kind of money."

"We'll think of something when we get to that point," Rex replied, before glaring at Tora, "But this Blade of yours have better be seriously useful, Tora!"

Despite the glare, Tora replied cheerfully. "Leave that to Tora!" he said, "We'll need to make stop at Margia's Odds & Ends to purchase Blade parts."

"Alright. Lead the way," Rex responded before following Tora out of the house, leaving the others bemused.

"Why do I get the feeling this'll spell disaster?" Gatomon questioned in concern. Ash merely shrugged.

"Can't be any worse than what we've dealt with..." he replied, with Pikachu giving a unamused nod in agreement. With that, the others headed off to catch up with Tora and Rex.

* * *

 _And that's that. A few things about this part._

 _First, I couldn't help but think what an encounter between Brock and Pyra would be like. Seriously, Pyra's good-looking and is a great cook! Though I'd also imagine Rex immediately pulling Brock away with his Anchor Shot._

 _Secondly, their new clothes. The clothes they're wearing are the ones shown on this fic's thumbnail. So for those of you wondering about the thumbnail, now you know._

 _Third is the reveal that Rex has a new Core Crystal. That Core Crystal will awaken as a Rare Blade for Rex. I was originally going to inform you all about Rare Blade suggestions in this part, but I ultimately decided to do it earlier to give you all more time to make suggestions. Just as a reminder that Rex will resonate with that Core Crystal sometime during their stay on Uraya, which is the next in-game Chapter, so I'd definitely like some suggestions for Rex's Rare Blade._

 _That's all for now. Til next time._


	13. Gathering & Activation

**Author's Note:** _Here's the next part. Nothing else to say, so let's move on._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 13: Gathering & Activation_

Rex, Pyra, and Tora had obtained the info pertaining Nia's location. She and Dromarch have been taken to an Ardainian Titan ship that's currently docked within the military base near Torigoth. Problem is that the two is scheduled to be executed tomorrow. Despite the time limit, the group need to make some preparations for the rescue, including obtaining the missing parts for Tora's Artificial Blade.

With Ash and Kari newly dressed and Pikachu and Gatomon hiding in their respective partners' backpacks, the group find themselves at Margia's Odds & Ends, run by a Gormotti named Kassa according to Tora.

"Hello there," Kassa greeted the group.

"Tora here to buy Perfect Range Sensor and Bion Connectors!" Tora explained. Kasa eyed the Nopon a bit.

"Ah, you must be the Nopon who's been gazing at those the other day," he guessed, much to Tora's surprise.

"Meh-meh!? You noticed!?" the Nopon reacted.

"Well, considering you were staring for three hours straight..." Kassa informed before developing a frown, "But I'm terribly sorry... We're actually sold out on Perfect Range Sensors right now..."

Yea, the group didn't like where this was going... "Should have figured it wouldn't be this easy..." Ash responded.

"Hey, don't feel bad," Kassa attempted to comfort the group, "We at least still got some Bion Connectors. 4,000G apiece. Does that sound reasonable?"

Rex sighed. "Not particularly, but it's better than nothing..." he said.

"Rex, didn't you say you'll think of something to cover the cost?" Kari questioned, wondering how Rex'll afford the Bion Connectors.

"I'm still willing to sel-" Pyra tried to recommend, but Rex cut her off.

"I told you, we're not selling one of your jewelry!" he retorted, "Worst come to worst, I can just do a bit of salvaging for some gold."

Hearing that, Kassa widen his eyes. "Wait, you're a salvager?" he asked.

Rex turned back to the shopkeeper with a nod. "Yea. I may not look it, but I'm actually a professional at it," he answered prompting Kassa to smile.

"Well, there's your answer to your problem!" he informed, "I probably shouldn't say this to potential customers, but apparently you can fish Bion Connectors around this season. You can get them easily near the Chief's residence."

"That's not a bad idea," Azurda agreed.

"In that case, let's give it a try!" Rex accepted. Tora nodded, but still frowned.

"Only problem is Perfect Range Sensor..." the Nopon informed.

"Couldn't we just salvage those as well?" Kari wondered, prompting Rex to shake his head in denial.

"Sorry, but I haven't heard of any likely spots for those..." the salvager informed, "They're nearly impossible to find except when the Titans and the Cloud Sea align in exactly the right way, and even if we did find a spot to salvage for them, we'd still need a lot of luck to bag one..."

"And considering time is not on our side, that's out of the question..." Ash realized with a frown.

The group wondered what they're gonna do about the Perfect Range Sensor. Just then, a particularly gruff Gormotti walked up to them. "Hey, can I ask you something?" he called out to them, prompting the group to turn their attention to the Gormotti, "From the looks of it, this young lady here's a Blade, right? Are one of you her Driver?"

It was clear he was talking about Pyra, prompting Rex to freak out a bit. "Urk... Is this what it looks like...!?"

"Wait one moment please!" Tora interjected, "Rex-Rex and Tora also Blades actually!"

The others stared at Tora bemusely. "Does that make me the Driver...?" Pyra wondered.

"Surely the Driver would have to be me," Azurda responded with a bit of pride. The offworld couple couldn't help but facepalm at that.

"You guys stink at making up stories..." Ash commented unamusely. Even Pikachu sighed from within the backpack.

"Hey now! No need to get your knickers in a twist," the Gormotti tried to defuse the tension, "My name's Cedwyn. I'm just a regular botanist."

"Botanist? Tora would never guessed!" Tora replied, shocked that this gruff Gormotti was a botanist.

Cedwyn sighed. "I get that a lot," he responded before getting to the point, "Anyway, I was heading to Lascham Island for a spot of fieldwork, but I ran into a bit of... monster trouble..."

"Monster trouble, huh?" Rex repeated, kinda expecting that to be the case, which was replied with a nod from Cedwyn.

"Yup, a Juppen Krabble to be more precise," he continued, "I tried asking the Imperial Army to help me out, but it looks like they're pretty busy right now. So I figured, since you lot have a Blade, you must be decent at fighting, so I was hoping you'd take care of the issue for me."

Rex was all towards helping people out, but the group doesn't have a lot of time. "That's great and all, but we are kinda busy at the moment..." Rex informed dejectedly.

"Let me guess; you need a Perfect Range Sensor, right?" Cedwyn guessed, causing the others to stare at him wide-eyed, "As I was walking to you all, I happen to overhear you talking about needing one. I happen to have one lying around. If you help me out, I'll spare you the Perfect Range Sensor. Sounds good?"

"Sounds perfect, actually!" Pyra accepted.

"Yeah! You can count on us!" Ash added, prompting Cedwyn to smile.

"That's what I like to hear," he commended, "Lascham Island isn't hard to find. You can see it to the left as you exit the city though the main entrance. Good luck!"

With that, Cedwyn went off by the shops, leaving the group alone.

"So, looks like we got our plan," Rex reminded with a smile, "So what should we tackle first?"

"How about you and Tora go get the Bion Connectors?" Ash recommended, "Kari and I'll take care of the Krabble."

Rex stared at Ash a bit. "You sure? It might be a long trek, and there's no telling when that Territorial Rotbart will strike again."

Hearing that startled Tora. "Hold on... Rex-Rex and friends fought against Territorial Rotbart!?" he yelled. Ash's response was to scratch his head in embarrassment.

"Well... Not really 'fought,' more like ran away..." he corrected, remembering how reckless he was during that encounter, before shaking his head, "We'll be fine. Now that we know that ape's patrolling the plains, we'll keep a better eye out for it."

Kari was a bit worried about this, but ultimately sighed. "I sure hope you're right about this. I don't want a repeat of last time..." she warned. Soon, even Rex agreed with the plan.

"Well, it'll make this go faster," he accepted, "Alright. We'll meet up at Tora's house when we're done."

With everyone in agreement, the group went their separate ways.

* * *

Ash and Kari, along with Pikachu and Gatomon now that they're out of town, made their way to Lascham Island. As Ash said, they've been able to keep an eye on Territorial Rotbart and avoid running into it, so the trek was much more smoother than when they were heading to Torigoth.

Soon enough, they made it to the island connected to Gormott by some natural bridges. They looked around the area, noticing a number of Krabbles scattered around the island, and even some giant, eel-like fishes off in the distance, until their gaze fell on a lone Krabble with a different shell-shape than the others.

"That must be the Krabble Cedwyn told us about," Kari informed.

"You know, I never got to comment on them back when we were with Jin and Malos, but these Krabbles seriously reminds me of the Dwebbles back in my world," Ash commented, leaving Kari giggling in response.

"I see what you mean, Ash," the Digidestined agreed, "The only difference is that absurdly large claw."

"Right!" Ash replied with a chuckle, just in time for the Krabble to notice the group, "Well, let's take care of this. Ready, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded before leaping into battle with Gatomon. By this point, the Krabble attacked first by blowing a stream of bubbles.

"I certainly don't remember Dwebbles blowing bubbles, though," Kari commented as Pikachu and Gatomon dodged out of the way.

"Let's see if we can't deal with its defenses first and foremost," Ash ordered, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's Iron Tail made its mark; even though the shell mitigated the damage a bit, it still made the Krabble falter as it tried to shoo the Pokémon away with its claw. But it turned out to be a bad move as Gatomon moved in.

"Ever heard of a diversion, Mr. Crabby?" she taunted as she rushed forward paw first, "Lightning Paw!"

Gatomon's attack struck the Krabble in the head, shoving it back quite a bit. Seeing it in a disadvantage, the Krabble opted to hide in its shell, its claw blocking the hole. Ash, however, smirked at that.

"Sorry, but that won't work!" he called out, "Pikachu, drive it out with Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" Pikachu responded as he charged up, "Piiiikaaaa... CHUUUUU!" The Pokémon unleashed his Thunderbolt, covering the shell in electricity. Just like with the Iron Tail, the shell couldn't absorb all of the attack, so once the attack cut off, the Krabble slumped out, weakened.

"Alright, let's finish it off!" Kari yelled as Gatomon move in for the kill.

"Time for the good-old One Two Neko Punch!" she called out as she scratched the Krabble with both of her claws before leaping back, slapping it with her tail, "Neko Rush! And now... NEKO FINISH!" Gatomon finished her combo by headbutting the dazed Krabble, finishing it off.

"Good one, Gatomon!" Ash commended, proud of the display, "I didn't think you had a move like that!"

"Never underestimate a Champion like me," Gatomon replied with a smug look. Kari giggled at her smug look.

"Well, looks like we're done here," she informed, "Let's report back to Cedwyn and get that Perfect Range Sensor." With everyone in agreement, the quartet made their way back to Torigoth.

* * *

Everyone managed to regroup back in Tora's home. Not only did Ash and Kari got the Perfect Range Sensor as a reward from Cedwyn, but Rex managed to salvage 3 Bion Connectors. With all the parts collected, Tora was hard at work putting the finishing touches on the Artificial Blade. By this time, night has fallen, and it appears to be another stormy night.

Tora fiddled with the robot Blade for a bit before stepping back in triumph. "Okay! All finished!" he exclaimed.

"It's really finished!?" Ash asked, finding it hard to contain his excitement, "I can't wait to see the result!"

"Tora, our friends' execution draws near," Azurda reminded, "There's no time to lose!"

"I know, I know!" Tora agreed, getting in position behind an activation device and placing one of his earflaps on the lever, "Okay, Artificial Blade... It's wakey-wake-!"

"That won't do, Tora!" Pyra interrupted, startling Tora away from the lever.

"W-what Tora do wrong?" Tora questioned, worried that he messed up somewhere.

"You can't keep calling her 'Artificial Blade,'" Pyra explained, "As her creator, the least you can do is give her a proper name."

"She does have a point..." Kari agreed.

Tora sighed a bit, before facing Pyra with a smile. "Actually, Tora, Dadapon, and Grampypon thought that as well," the Nopon informed, "Artificial Blade prototype was given name 'Lila' before Grampypon and Dadapon disappear. So Tora thought up different name for new Artificial Blade!"

Pyra smiled at that, as did the others. "Nice. Guess that means no problem," Rex responded, "So, how about introducing us to her?"

"Right away!" Tora replied, putting his earflap back on the lever, "Now... Wakey-wakey! Tora's very own Blade! Poppi!"

Tora pulled the lever and activated the machine connected to the Blade. Just then, the house shook and the lights flickered, as if a lightning bolt struck. Steam emerge from the machine, covering the Blade. Everyone waited on bated breath.

"P-Poppi...?" Tora spoke, unable to contain the anticipation. Soon, the steam cleared out, revealing...

"*How may I be of service, Master?*" was the Artificial Blade first words as she performed a very cutesy pose. Everyone jaw-dropped at the ridiculous display, eyes whiten in a comedic fashion. Even Tora was surprised by this.

"WHY THIS HAPPEN!?" Tora yelled as he hastily deactivated the Blade before turning to the others, "Forget you see that! Tora need to change settings!"

As Tora fiddled with the activation device with an annoyed huff, everyone else was bemused by what happened. "The... settings?" was Rex's only response to that.

Tora continue to fiddle with the device before giving a relieved sigh and placing his earflap back on the lever. "Th-this time should be okay..." he said with a sigh, "Second time go best! Powerrr... on!"

Tora reactivated the device as the house shook from another bolt, though the others looked a bit unamused with the moment being ruined. Soon, the steam cleared once more, revealing the Artificial Blade in a proper standing pose, eyes opening revealing the robot-like lens of the Perfect Range Sensors.

"Greetings, Masterpon," the Blade spoke, normally this time. At this point, everyone stared in awe that it actually worked this time. Even Tora couldn't contain his excitement.

"I... I did it!" the Nopon exclaimed, "Tora's masterpiece! World's first Artificial Blade... Poppi!"

"It actually worked...!?" Gatomon commented in disbelief.

"Incredible!" Pyra spoke in awe.

"This is really quite something," Azurda added.

Tora couldn't help but be bashful from all the praise. "Tora did good, huh? Tora very big success!?" he exclaimed.

"Definitely! This is awesome!" Ash praised the Nopon, with Pikachu cheering in agreement.

Kari nodded with a smile, but still wondered about something. "Still, what was with her before? She sounded a bit like a cutesy maid..." she asked.

"Yea, I was pretty surprised when she did that," Rex added. Tora waved his ears in annoyance.

"Forget about it! That not Tora's fault!" he yelled, "That was Grampypon! Grampypon Soosoo made settings! Definitely Grampypon fault!"

Pyra narrowed her eyes at that. "Are you sure, Tora?"

"Of course Tora sure!" Tora assured, looking a bit nervous than before. Pyra's eyes, however, gazed to Tora's left... to an open closet filled with a bit of clothing, mostly maid outfits. The others were surprised to see this.

"So Tora got... a maid fetish...?" Rex commented, bemused at the sight.

"Guess that explains why he didn't have 'suitable' clothes for us..." Kari reminded with a sigh.

Ash groaned a bit at that. "This is starting to remind me of a friend of mine, and not particularly in a good way..." he commented, "I just hope he doesn't start going gaga toward girls..."

Pyra continues to stare indiscriminating at Tora... only to drop it completely with a smile that somehow unnerved Tora even more. "Well, let's not dwell on that," she said before turning to the others, "Let's go rescue Nia and Dromarch!"

"Right! No time to lose!" Rex replied.

"We're right with you! Right, Pikachu?" Ash added, with Pikachu giving a agreeing "Pika!"

While Tora was still feeling scared of Pyra, the Artificial Blade named Poppi gave a bow to the group. "Anyway, my name Poppi," she introduced herself, "Poppi try hard to make Masterpon proud."

* * *

Inside his office, Dughall was growling his head off, completely annoyed with what's been happening concerning Mòrag.

"Grr... That shrew thinks she owns the place, just because she curries favor with the Emperor!" he argued with himself, "If only I'd gotten the Aegis myself... I could've returned home in triumph, or sold her to Bana for a tidy sum!"

Dughall slammed his fist onto his desk. "No! It's not over!" he yelled, "I refuse to let this place be the end of me! I will not be left to rot in this flea-bitten backwater!"

He then activated the telecall on his desk. "Captain Padraig!" he called as the Ardainian Captain appear on the screen, "Double the number of guardsmen! Round up whoever you can find! I don't care if you have to persuade them with cake; I want them searching for that Aegis before Mòrag gets her paws on her!"

"Er, sir! As you wish!" was Padraig's only response before the telecall turned off. Dughall then turned to the door.

"Dolmes!" he called. Peeking through the door was a giant, armored brute with a giant hammer strapped on its back. Judging from the blue gem, it appears to be a Blade, a Blade so big it can't even fit through the door. "You're coming with me! You're helping me get that Aegis if it's the last thing you do!"

With a grunt, the giant Dolmes walked off to prepare. Dughall was looking smug.

"Watch and learn, Mòrag Ladair..." he said to no one, confident that he's getting the Aegis before anyone else could... not noticing that he's being watched by a certain blue-garbed fire Blade.

* * *

 _And that's it. Bit of a shorter part then before, but it's just that the last part was particularly long on my end. Plus the next part is the infiltration, and I feel that should get its own part._

 _Only other thing to make mention (other than the group's... reactions to discovering Tora's maid fetish) is the attack Gatomon used, One Two Neko Punch. That is actually an attack that Gatomons can use, at least according to Wikimon, a wikipedia of Digimon. I wanted Gatomon to have access to more attacks then the Lightning Paws she uses in canon, so I looked through Wikimon for attacks that Gatomons can use, and my eyes fell on One Two Neko Punch. It was also the same reason why I also included Mega Kick in Gatomon's 'moveset.'_

 _Well, that should be it. Next time, as I said, is the infiltration. I did something a bit differently compared to the ancient vessel, so hopefully it works._


	14. Infiltration & Rescue

**Author's Note:** _Here's the next part of this fic. Before I get started, let me get something straight. A couple of days ago, I've received my first Guest review. Now, I don't see a problem with Guest reviews except when they're asking a question. When that happens, I'm unable to reply back to them. And I know I could just put my answer here, but for one thing, that'll fill up the Author's Notes too much if I get a lot of Guest Reviews. Secondly, the answer to this specific question is in a previous part. So please, if you have no choice but to make a Guest review, please don't ask me stuff. Otherwise I won't be able to answer you back._

 _Now that that's out of the way, let's get started._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 14: Infiltration & Rescue_

* * *

After a bit of gathering, Tora has completed his Artificial Blade. Named Poppi, she's sure to be helpful in infiltrating the Ardainian Titan Ship. So, with the stormy night still young, the group headed off toward the military base, with Tora equipped with a metal shield now that he's a Driver. Pikachu and Gatomon opted to stay out of the packs seeing that most of the residents are asleep, with Pyra removing the cloak as well, though Ash and Kari kept their new clothes on, admitting that they liked it too much.

The group find themselves staring at the Titan ship docked by the base with... mixed reactions.

"Mmm... Quite the impressive Titan," Azurda commended, "Another sign that Mor Ardain is readying once more for war with Uraya."

"THAT'S a Titan ship!?" Kari yelled in disgust, "It looks like someone implanted metal armor onto a Titan!" Ash, Pikachu, and Gatomon shared her disgust.

"Some Digimon have metal implants themselves, but at least those are much more natural!" Gatomon commented, "This is anything but!"

The natives turned to the offworld quartet, bemused by their reactions... except Rex who sighed in realization.

"Right... You all haven't seen an Ardainian Titan ship..." he guessed, "Well, it's exactly as you guess, Kari: Ardainians outfit their Titans with armor and weapons before prepping it for travel with a crew of soldiers."

"But why would they do that!?" Ash questioned, also disgusted by the design, "Don't they know they're living creatures!?"

"Who knows..." Rex admitted with a shrug, "All I know is the Ardainians are different in that regard; much different compared to Argentum, Uraya, and Indol."

"That's just the way it is," Azurda added, prompting Kari to stare at the larval Titan in surprise.

"How can you be so calm about this, Azurda!?" she responded, "You're a Titan too, right?"

"Indeed, but stuff like this doesn't really bother us in the slightest, no matter how painful," Azurda admitted, "Take me, for example. I used to have a hut on my back, and a crane stuck where the sun doesn't shine. Yet I've never complained, not even when Rex fired up a grill on my shoulders."

"That's because you actually liked that," Rex added, "Unfortunately, if I did that now, we'd end up with roast Titan!"

Azurda sighed in sorrow. "True... Tis a shame; I've grown to miss it..." he remarked.

"No time for talks!" Tora called out, getting everyone back on track.

"Right, sorry about that," Ash apologized. Pikachu scratched his head in embarrassment at his Trainer.

Kari stared below the cliff they're on, noticing a large root extending toward the ship. "That must be the root!" she pointed out.

Rex caught sight of not only the root, but also an opening in the Titan ship. "Just like what you and Pyra said, Kari," he commended with a smile, "We'll be able to get to that ship from there."

"Well, let's get a move on!" Pyra said, with the others in agreement. With that, the group made their way down a series of paths down to the root. Once they got to the root itself, they traversed through to the tip. It was there, however, that they already hit a snag...

The entrance was too high up...

"The more I see snags like this, the more I miss having my other Pokémon..." Ash admitted.

"Same here with Gatomon's Digivolutions..." Kari added.

Rex, however, was undeterred. "Hey, nothing to worry about," he reassured, readying his Anchor Shot, "I got it under control. Gimme a moment."

He aimed toward the entrance and fired his Anchor Shot. Once it was secured, he raised himself up and swung into the entrance.

"That's pretty awesome!" Ash commented in awe.

"Yea, but how does that help us?" Kari questioned.

"I told you I got it under control!" Rex called from the entrance, lowering his anchor back to the others, "Pyra, you first! I'll pull you up, so hold tight!"

The group believed that this might work... until Pyra actually got onto the anchor, prompting Rex to fall onto the metal floor from the weight. He tried to pull her up, but she wouldn't budge.

" _GH! So... heavy!_ "

" _Wh-what!?_ " Pyra cried out in startlement, stepping off the anchor and, inadvertently, launch Rex back a bit.

Kari couldn't help but facepalm. "Did he really just call a lady 'heavy...?'" she questioned, completely unamused by Rex's lack of tact.

Pyra covered her face in embarrassment. "S-sorry about that... I guess I was just surprised," she apologized.

"No-no! It's not your fault!" Rex attempted to console her up above.

"She heavier than Tora for sure," Tora commented, "But that just mean Pyra grown to impressive height!"

Kari glared at the Nopon for the comment. "You have even less tact than Rex, Tora!" she argued, "If there's one thing you never do, it's comment on a girl's weight!"

Tora turned to the Digidestined, startled by her outburst. "B-but it good thing!" he attempted to reason, "Pyra should be proud of build!"

"Not when you just blunt it out like that!" Kari retorted back, "Poppi wouldn't like it if someone call her heavy! Right, Poppi?"

Kari's question went unanswered as the Digidestined turned to the Artificial Blade. "... Poppi?"

Just then, Poppi flew up with rocket-propelled feet, catching Kari and Tora by surprise. She landed right in front of a recovering Rex. "Poppi pull Pyra up. Please try again," she informed.

"Er, okay..." Rex responded in a bit of shock as he lowered his anchor down again. Pyra stepped back onto the anchor nervously as the others wondered if the same thing gonna happen again... except that she's being risen up this time! One look at the entrance reveals that Poppi's the one pulling Pyra up!

"Niiice, Poppi!" Rex complimented, "I'm sure glad to have you around!"

"Poppi Artificial Blade. This is noooo problem," Poppi responded with a proud smile, "Poppi could lift Immovable Gonzalez if necessary."

It took a bit, but Poppi was able to pull Pyra onto the entrance. Soon it was time to lift everyone else up. Thankfully, the others weren't as heavy as Pyra, so Rex was able to pull them up one by one without Poppi's help. After a while, they were inside the ship.

"Well, despite that bit of a snag, we made it in," Ash said, "Now let's go find Nia and Dromarch."

"It'd be wise to be careful," Azurda warned, "We are inside a military battleship, no doubt filled with Ardainian Soldiers."

"So if we want to rescue our friends, we better make sure not to get spotted," Rex realized.

With everyone in agreement, they all pressed on, finding themselves in what's called a disposal chute. It was filled with Cloud Sea wastes and even a couple of Medoozs and Lysaats.

"Guess that explains the entrance we've been through..." Rex commented with a bit of disgust. Ignoring the location, the group climbed the ladder and through a vent, finding them back outside the ship on a walkway. They were just about to enter through the first of the two doorways back in when they heard footsteps.

"Hear that...?" Ash questioned in a low voice. He and Rex peek through the doorway, making sure to stay hidden, and found a soldier patrolling the hall.

"And there's our first soldier..." Rex spoke with a sigh, "If we're spotted, they'll no doubt alert the entire ship..."

"Let's make sure to stay hidden..." Ash recommended before noticing a broken air vent, "Perhaps we could get through there. Poppi could bust through that grate."

"Yea, and then that soldier will notice us..." Rex argued, "We need to deal with him if we're to get through. Preferably without killing him."

The duo ducked back outside as the soldier pass the doorway. Once he passed, Rex got into position. He crept up to the soldier and, once he was close enough, slammed the hilt of his sword onto the soldier's head, knocking him out cold.

"He's out. Let's move," Rex signaled the others. Poppi got to the vent and pushed it out with little problem. With the grate cleared, everyone hopped down and proceed their way right toward another hall with multiple doors. Just then, Poppi stopped.

"Masterpon, Poppi can feel there is a Blade in the vicinity," she informed.

Tora was surprised to hear this; he doesn't remember installing any functions that locate other Blades. "But how can Poppi tell that?" he questioned.

"Unclear. Poppi feel other Blade like wave in air," was Poppi's vague answer. The others didn't understand that, but Pyra seems to have an idea.

"Blades are in tune with the Ether in the air. Not only are they able to sense the type of Ether, but also if there's another Blade using it," she explained.

Rex was still a bit clueless. "Er, I'm not sure I get it, but... perhaps Dromarch is nearby!" he guessed.

"Let's try checking out these doors," Ash recommended, turning to Pikachu, "Break those locks with Iron Tail."

With a nod, Pikachu swung his metal tail on the door at the far end of the hall. The attack completely broke the lock, allowing Rex to push it open with ease. Sure enough, behind the door was Dromarch.

"Rex! Ash! Kari!" Dromarch exclaimed, glad to see them despite keeping the calm attitude.

"Dromarch! It's good to see you alive," Azurda commended. By this point, Tora and Poppi revealed themselves to the tiger Blade.

"See, Masterpon? There was a Blade here," Poppi confirmed. Dromarch was confused seeing the new faces.

"Forgive me, but who are they?" he questioned.

"Tora and Poppi," Rex introduced rather hastily, "We'd tell you more, but we don't have much time. Do you know where Nia is?"

"But of course," Dromarch answered, "We are in resonance, after all. I feel her presence."

"Lead the way, Dromarch!" Kari requested with a smile.

With Dromarch leading the way, the group made their way through the opposite path from where they busted through. There were no soldiers... up until they reached the engine room. They saw two soldiers guarding a visible valve to their left, and one more on the stairway up above.

"Pikachu or Gatomon could probably knock out that soldier," Ash guessed.

"True, but the problem is that steam," Azurda replied, pointing at the steam spouting from below the stairway, "I doubt we'd walk through that unharmed."

Rex looked below at where the steam is spouting from, noticing another valve within a gated area. "Leave that to me," he reassured, making his was to the door without alerting the other two soldiers. While he entered through the door, Pikachu and Gatomon climbed up to the third soldier and, before he could see what happened, both whacked him in the head, KOing him. By the time they were done, Rex had turned off the steam, allowing them to move on up.

They were now on the higher floor, with two ways to go. They made their way to their right and reached a door. Opening it, however, revealed a large group of soldiers on beds! They quickly closed the door before the soldiers could notice.

"That... was a lot of soldiers...!" Kari commented with a sigh of relief.

"Hm, judging from the beds, I'd guess that was the living quarters," Azurda guessed.

"Well, that's just great..." Ash responded sarcastically, "How are we gonna get through?"

"We're better off heading another way," Dromarch informed. Following the tiger, the group went the opposite way, finding another door. Careful to not alert any possible soldiers beyond, Rex gently opened the door, only to find the place relatively empty, save for a couple of soldiers sleeping on the tables as well as one patrolling.

"Looks like a mess hall," Azurda pointed out, "It's still night out, so this'll mean most of the soldiers are asleep."

"Which means we only need to deal with this one soldier," Rex responded, "Though doing so without waking up the others might be tough."

"Not necessarily," Pyra interjected, a ball of fire in her palm. With a flick, she flung the fireball toward the other side of the mess hall, away from the opposite door. The soldier heard it and went to check it out.

"Nice one, Pyra," Rex commended. With the soldier distracted, the group sneaked through the mess hall undetected. They made their way through another hall, reaching a fork in the road.

"Which way, Dromarch?" Kari asked. Dromarch closed his eyes and concentrated. After a while, he opened his eyes and turned to the right.

"This way," he informed, leading the group. Hiding behind the corner, they saw 2 Ardainian Soldiers, one of which having one of those tall helmets, guarding what looks like another jail door. "No doubt about it. That's the place."

"Doesn't look like we can sneak through," Azurda said.

"Any suggestions?" Kari asked the group. Rex wondered about a plan before sighing.

"Honestly, I think we're better off fighting them," he recommended, much to the surprise of the others, "According to Dromarch, Nia is just beyond that door. I don't think there's any more need to sneak around, not when we're almost done. Besides, we'll just knock these guys out before they could alert the others."

The group wondered if this was such a good idea. In the end, though, they have very little options. "Alright, we're right with you," Ash accepted.

"Just tell us when to strike," Gatomon added with a smirk. Rex smiled before revealing himself to the two guards. The guards were caught by surprise by his sudden appearance as the others joined him.

"Who are you!?" one of the soldiers questioned before noticing Pyra, Pikachu, and Gatomon, "Wait, that Blade...! Those creatures...! You must be the terrorist's friends!"

"We are her friends!" Rex replied, pulling out his sword for battle, "But I won't let you call her a terrorist!"

* * *

Nia sat on the floor in her jail cell, quite a bit crestfallen. Just when it seems like things were working out despite defecting from Torna, she ends up imprisoned. She did told Rex and the others to leave without her, but now she was beginning to regret it. It was the first time since Torna that she actually had friends...

As she sat, she remembered the last time she was captured. In a jail cell just like this one, she was facing execution for things beyond her control, all because of a secret she held. Then, when all hope was lost, the door opened up, revealing a white-garbed man that she'd come to know as Jin.

 _'Who are you?'_ she had asked that man.

 _'Jin,'_ was his quick response, _'I'm... just like you; an outcast to the world...'_

Nia had hung her head low upon hearing the word 'outcast.'

 _'I know what it's like... to not have a place in the world,'_ Jin continued, _'But I can help you.'_

Nia was shocked to hear that someone was willing to help her. She still remembers Jin holding his arm, gesturing Nia to take it.

 _'All I ask... is your help. I aim to make this world better for people like us,'_ was his ultimatum, _'Will you help me?'_

He sounded so genuine when he made that request that Nia couldn't help but reach for Jin's hand. Little did she knew the kind of people Torna turned out to be. She held her head down, remembering her first meeting with Jin, truly believing that no one will help her this time.

Just then, she heard some sort of commotion. It sounded like the guards outside were fighting. No doubt intruders, Nia guessed. Soon, the fighting stop, but before Nia could rest her head in sorrow, a loud noise came from the other side of the door. It was as if the door was hit by something hard. Then, the door opened up, revealing...

"R-Rex...!?" Nia called out, standing back up, "What are you doing here...!?" It was indeed Rex who opened the door and greeted Nia.

"Saving you! What else!?" Rex answered with a smile. Just then, Dromarch appeared by Rex's side.

"My lady. Apologies for my late arrival," the tiger Blade bowed in regret.

Nia stared at the two before turning away a bit. "D-don't mention it..." she reassured her Blade, "I didn't think anyone was coming at all..."

"As if we'd leave you!" Rex responded, prompting Nia to stare at the salvager once more, "'Always help those who help you.' That's the second rule of the Salvager's Code! And I'm not alone on that front. Right, guys?"

Looking out the door, Nia was surprised to see that Ash and Kari were here as well. "You bet!" Ash replied with a determined grin, "You're our friend, Nia. There's no way we're abandoning our friends!"

"You would've done the same for us," Kari added with a caring smile, "I know because you already helped us in the past."

Nia stared at the three friends before getting a bit teary eyed, amazed that she made such great friends. To think that they cared for her this much...

"Rex... Ash... Kari... Thank you..." she responded with a genuine smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. The trio smiled in return.

"Rex-Rex! Tora has found escape route!" a Nopon that Nia doesn't recognized popped out of the corner. Seeing her confused reaction, Rex prompted to inform her.

"We've made a new friend. His name's Tora," Rex introduced, "He and Poppi were helpful in getting us this far."

"Uh, nice to meet ya," Nia greeted the Nopon, still not sure what to make of this.

"Well, I think we've overstayed our welcome here," Azurda pointed out, popping out of Rex's helmet, "Time to get moving!"

"Right," Kari agreed. So with Nia and Dromarch in tow, the group made their way to the exit Tora pointed out. Though they can already guess that their escape won't be so smoothly...

* * *

 _And that's it. I've opted to turn the infiltration into a bit of a stealth segment instead of just having the group battle their way through the Titan ship like in the game. Figured that'd make more sense story-wise._

 _We're coming up on the end of Chapter 2. Until then, see ya._


	15. Dughall & Realization

**Author's Note:** _We have reached the ending stretch of this chapter. Only a few more parts to go before we're done with it. And we're starting off with another boss. I truly hope you all at least like this series. I know it may seem strange to be saying this 15 parts in, but I'm dead serious. This story might not have even been posted if I haven't gotten an interest in it a month ago, so I hope it's interesting for you all as well._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 15: Dughall & Realization_

* * *

The group managed to sneak into the Ardainian Titan ship and locate Dromarch and Nia. Now all they needed to do was get out of there, and Tora already found the exit. With the Gormotti and Blade in tow, they made their way toward the path they didn't took moments ago, reaching the armory of the ship, with the hanger leading out directly ahead. Unfortunately, the door to the hanger was closed.

"Just our luck..." Ash commented with a sigh. Poppi attempted to lift the door open, but to no avail.

"Door too heavy for Poppi to lift..." the Artificial Blade said, feeling dejected, prompting Tora to console her. Rex went to the control panel next to the door, but he shook his head after pressing a couple of buttons.

"The control panel doesn't work either..." he noted before noticing some cables extending from the panel to a switch higher up, "Maybe it'll work once we hit that switch."

"Good thinking, Rex-Rex!" Tora complimented before turning to Poppi, "Poppi?"

With a nod, Poppi flew up, gently so as to not alert the soldiers above, and hit the switch, activating the control panel. Rex pressed a button as Poppi glided down, opening the door.

"We're almost out of here!" Kari exclaimed as the group made their way to the hanger. From there, they saw their exit into the military base and, therefore, back to Torigoth, light signalling that it was daytime now. There was just one problem...

"Not so fast, my dear intruders!"

Standing between them and the exit was a certain yellow suited official with an ugly mug. Standing behind him was his brute of the Blade, Dolmes. Nia hissed at the man before her.

"Consul Dughall... Should have know you'd be here..." she spoke in disgust.

"That guy's a Consul?" Ash questioned in disbelief.

"Of course I am, you brat!" Dughall answered, "And it would make someone of my standings look bad if I just let a terrorist, especially one of Torna, roam free."

The Consul gazed at each member of the group before his eyes fell on Pyra, more specifically her Core Crystal.

"Ah-ha! That emerald Core Crystal! So you're the Aegis!" Dughall pointed out, causing Pyra and Rex to narrow their eyes a bit, "Much as it pains me to admit it, it seems Mòrag was right on the money."

 _'Mòrag? Wonder who that is...'_ Ash pondered, but there's more important thins to think about.

"You know who Pyra is?" Rex questioned, hand already gripping his sword, "Are you trying to capture her too, you ratbag!?"

"Now now, language. But of course," Dughall answered, "The most powerful Blade in all of history, with the power to rend Alrest asunder! Truly the kind of Blade anyone worth their salt would want!"

"Rend Alrest asunder!?" Kari repeated in shock, "Are you saying Pyra's capable of destroying this world!?"

Pyra faltered from what Kari guessed, but Dughall looked smug. "Indeed!" he confirmed, "Only a fool would know that kind of power and not seek to claim it! And I am no fool! Therefore, I will claim her as my own! You cannot argue with such logic!"

"Flaw detected in final step of logic," Poppi pointed out immediately after Dughall stopped talking. The Consul did not appreciate that comment.

"Sorry, pal, but you've done all the capturing you're gonna do today," Nia informed, pulling out her Twin Rings.

"That's right! Pyra is our friend, and we won't let you take her!" Ash added as Pikachu leaped into battle along with Gatomon.

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Rex finished, sword pulled out and activated, "Let's go, Prya!"

"Got it!" Pyra nodded as Rex rushed forward.

"Such impertinence for a bunch of dirty terrorists," Dughall taunted, pulling out his rifle, as Dolmes pulled out a giant hammer and slammed it to the ground, blocking Rex from the Consul, who used the opportunity to take a potshot at the salvager. Unfortunately for him, he didn't saw Gatomon coming.

"Lightning Paw!" she yelled, slamming her paw onto Dughall's shoulder and knocking him back. Dolmes retaliated by swinging his hammer, though he missed since Gatomon was such a nimble target. Just as the brute swung again, the attack was blocked by Pikachu's Iron Tail. Though the Pokémon was sent back from the blow, it did staggered Dolmes, allowing Gatomon to move in with the One Two Neko Punch combo.

"You got it, you two!" Kari called out excitedly. Meanwhile, Rex blocked another shot from Dughall before going in with a Double Spinning Edge. The Consul faltered a bit, but it wasn't stopping him.

"Furious Blast!" Dughall called out before unleashing a rain of bullets toward the salvager. Luckily, Pyra's barrier managed to block the attack, but it couldn't absorb all of the bullets. Dughall laughed at that. "Had enough!?"

"Not even close!" Nia yelled as she goes in with a Butterfly Blade, staggering him.

"Tora's turn! Big Boost!" Tora yelled as he steps into the battle, shield drawn as it opens up to reveal a drill! He slammed the drill toward Dughall, knocking him down. Everyone was impressed by Tora's showing.

"Now's our chance!" Rex called out, but before he and the others could capitalize on the opening, Dolmes appeared out of nowhere and spun his hammer, knocking everyone back. By this point, Dughall got back up.

"Heh, You'll have to try harder than that to stop me!" he informed, "Takedown Shot!"

Dughall shot a drill-like bullet toward Tora, toppling him instantly. Nia immediately got to his side and healed him with a Healing Halo while Rex went in with a Sword Bash, clashing with Dolmes' hammer.

"Pikachu, go for Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered as Pikachu sent a stream of electricity toward Dughall. Unfortunately, the attack only hit Dolmes as the Consul moved behind his Blade, prompting Rex to hop away from the clash. Dughall peek out and prepared to shoot.

"Burst Grenade!" he called out as he shot a flaming grenade toward Rex, pushing him back. Gatomon attempted to strike back with Lightning Paw, but the Consul moved back behind his Blade, who once again took the blunt of the attack. Rex got back up, as did Tora, and saw what was going on.

"That coward! He's just hiding behind his Blade!" he realized, prompting Dughall to scoff at him.

"What? Does common sense elude you?" he taunted, "A Blade can regenerate from any injury! Whereas if I die, my Blade will return to a useless core!"

Needless to say, everyone was disgusted by such a tactic. "So it's okay to use them as a living shield!?" Nia question rhetorically, "You weasel! Even if they can regenerate, that doesn't mean Blades don't feel pain!"

"Taking a 'valuable' Blade, not caring for your comrades, you really are no different from Team Rocket!" Ash compared with a glare, "How the hell did someone like you become a Driver!?"

Dughall laughed at Ash's retort. "Hah, you're nothing but a hypocrite, you and that girl!" he responded, pointing at Kari as well, "Letting your creatures do the fighting for you, that's practically the same thing!"

Ash faltered from hearing that, but Kari held his shoulder, still standing firm. "Even if that's the case, we're still different from you, Dughall!" she retorted back, "Unlike you, we still care for Gatomon and Pikachu. They are our partners and friends, and we always have each other's back!"

"Kari's right! And I couldn't have asked for a better partner!" Gatomon finished as she goes for a One Two Neko Punch combo on Dolmes.

"Hmph! You think we should care for the Blades' feelings?" Dughall retorted with a scoff, "You really are idiots!"

"We'll see who're idiots when we're through with you!" Rex taunted as he goes for a Rolling Smash, hitting Dughall with the flames even though the attack itself was blocked by Dolmes.

"Tora have Rex-Rex back! Spinning Cutter!" Tora exclaimed as he spun around, shield turning into a buzzsaw and striking the brute. With Dolmes distracted, Pikachu flung an Electro Ball at Dughall, knocking him back.

"Grrr! You'll pay for that! Flash Grenade!" he yelled as he launched another grenade at the group. This one, however, exploded in a flash of light, blinding the group and giving Dolmes the opening to knock them all away with another spinning hammer swing. With everyone distracted, Dughall took his place behind his Blade once more.

"There got to be a way to rat him out!" Ash said, getting annoyed by the Consul's cowardly tactic.

"Even if we get that Blade away, he'll only move back to his side," Dromarch informed.

"The only attacks that'll hit him at this rate are those from the ground," Rex added, "All other sides, he'll just hide!"

Hearing that, Pyra's eyes widen in realization. "Rex, that's it!" she exclaimed, "Let me deal with that!"

Rex stared at Pyra a bit before giving a determined nod. "Alright. It's all you!" he accepted, handing Pyra his sword.

Pyra gripped the sword and pointed it to the ground. "Here goes! **PROMINENCE REVOLT**!" she called out as she slams the sword, blade first, into the ground. Cracks appears from the blade to where Dughall stood, and before the Consul could react, an eruption occurred. He burned up within the eruption and had no choice but to move away from not only it, but also Dolmes!

"Now's our chance!" Rex yelled as he goes for the defenseless Dughall with a Sword Bash, followed by Gatomon's Lightning Paw, flinging him back. Nia, deciding to capitalize on the opportunity further, tossed her rings over to Dromarch.

" **AQUA WAVE**!" the tiger Blade called out, letting out a wave of Ether all over the battlefield, not only damaging Dughall with a burst of steam, but also healing the others back up.

"Thanks, Nia!" Tora thanked the Gormotti Driver before rushing toward Dughall once more with a Spinning Cutter, only to be blocked by Dolmes' hammer. Luckily, Pikachu had Tora's back as he unleashed another Thunderbolt at the brute.

"Think this means you won!?" Dughall called out to the group with a growl, "Think again! Burst Grenade!"

He launched another flaming grenade, this time at Tora and Pikachu, knocking them back. Rex retaliated with a Rolling Smash to cover for them. Though it did damage, it didn't deter him. Gatomon goes in with a Mega Kick, but once again, Dolmes was back to protecting his Driver. With that, Dughall was back to hiding behind his Blade.

"Grr! This is starting to get old!" Ash commented.

"Tell me about it," Kari agreed, glaring at the Consul, "Would another Prominence Revolt work?"

"Actually, we might not need it," Nia informed, prompting the others to stare at the Gormotti, "Rex, Pyra! When I give the signal, let loose another Blade Special, and make it a big one."

Rex wondered what Nia was planning, but nodded nonetheless. "Okay, if you say so," he accepted.

Nia nodded before turning to the others. "Tora, you get that brute's attention," she continued, pointing at Dolmes, "Ash and Kari? I'll need Pikachu and Gatomon with me."

"Alright, Nia!" Ash accepted, with Kari in agreement as well.

"Tora do friends proud!" Tora exclaimed as he rushes in, "Spinning Cutter!"

Spinning his buzzsaw shield once again, Tora got Dolmes attention, giving Nia, Pikachu, and Gatomon the opportunity to strike.

"Here we go!" Nia called out as she goes for a Jaguar Slash, aided by an Iron Tail from Pikachu, and ending with Gatomon's One Two Neko Punch. Dolmes couldn't handle the full blunt of the attacks and fell over, much to Dughall's annoyance.

"Get up, you useless excuse for a Blade!" he yelled at his Blade to no avail, "Gah! You want something done right, you do it yourself! Furious Blast!"

Dughall fired a stream of bullets toward the offending trio, but Tora had other plans. "Not this time! Rigid Shield!" he exclaimed, raising his shield to protect his friends. Unlike a Blade barrier, Tora's shield protected the group from all the bullets. With Dughall distracted, it was time to act.

"Now, Rex!" Nia signaled.

"On it!" Rex replied, tossing his sword to Pyra, "Let 'er rip, Pyra!"

"With pleasure! **BLAZING END**!" she responded, slashing Dughall with her fire sword before ending with a sawblade-like slash, flinging the Consul away. But that wasn't all. Once Pyra's attack ended, a giant explosion of steam occurred, flinging Dughall even further into the ground. It seems the battle was over as Dolmes dropped down as well. Rex, Ash, and Kari were surprised to see that happen, though Nia smirked.

"What just happened!?" Ash questioned.

"That... was a Blade Combo," Nia answered, "A combo utilizing multiple Blade Specials of different elements. When Pyra landed that Prominence Revolt, it initiated a combo, with Dromarch continuing the combo."

At that point, Rex realized what happened. "So when you told me and Pyra to use a Blade Special, it was to end the combo!" he realized with a smile, "I got to say, that was pretty cool!"

The group turned to where Dughall laid. He attempted to get back up, but to no avail. "How...?" he questioned, "A mangy fleabag and a bunch of stinking kids..."

"It's because we trusted in our partners, unlike you," Ash retorted with a glare, "You never cared for your Blade, and that's why you lost."

"My triumphant return... to Mor Ardain... with the Aegis..." was Dughall's last words as he lost conscious.

"Hmph, out like a light," Azurda spoke.

"Good, he was getting on my nerves," Gatomon complained.

"Yeah. Malos may have been bad, but at least he didn't treated his Blade like garbage," Kari added.

"Either way, we're home free," Rex informed with a smile, "Now they won't be executing Nia and Dromarch."

Nia's eyes widen at that. "Execute...?" she repeated, turning toward the salvager, "He was just trying to take me to Mor Ardain."

That was when Nia realized something. "Rex, everyone! This is a trap!"

"A trap!?" Ash responded in shock, "Are you saying they were waiting for us!?"

"No time! Talk later!" Tora interjected, "We should escape!"

"Masterpon is right," Poppi agreed, "Chance of reinforcements very high."

Rex nodded. "We'll talk about this later. Let's move!" he issued before he and the others made their way out of the ship. They find themselves at the military base, with the exit just around the corner.

"We're almost out!" Pyra exclaimed. Kari, however, noticed something was off. She remembered Tora saying that the base was heavily guarded...

 _... but there wasn't any soldiers around!_

" _EVERYONE! GET BACK!_ " she yelled, stopping everyone in their tracks. All just as well, as a wall of flames appeared and blocked the exit... blue flames, to be exact, which means...

"It's her!" Rex called out, "Brighid!"

Indeed. Stepping through the fire was the familiar blue-garbed fire Blade. Unfortunately, she wasn't alone. Walking next to her was the woman that interrogated Nia before. Everyone could guess who she was, and it seems their fears were realized: Brighid's Driver was here!

"It's just like Ash guessed; they were waiting for us!" Pyra noted.

"Appears to be the case," Azurda agreed, "I did feel like we got away a little too easily..."

Too easily indeed. Ash and Kari tensed up from seeing Brighid's Driver. No matter how you look it, this is bound to be their toughest fight yet...

* * *

 _And that's it... for now. Though Dughall was dealt with,_ _Mòrag will be a whole different story..._

 _Besides that, I did mention that the Xenoblade X Arts would come into play again in this chapter, and this is why. Furious Blast, Burst Grenade instead of Flame Grenade, as well as Flash Grenade and Takedown Shot, the latter of which retaining its ability of inflicting Topple (though it could only do that to machines in X)._

 _Either way, join me next time for when the group take on_ _Mòrag, the Special Inquisitor of Mor Ardain._


	16. Mòrag & Brighid

**Author's Note:** _Let's just get this over with since my computer really doesn't want to cooperate with me..._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 16: Mòrag & Brighid_

* * *

The group's escape from the Titan ship just went from bad to worst. Just when it seems like they were home free, it turned out to be a trap, with Nia as the bait. Standing between them and freedom was not only Brighid, who they've fought once before, but her Driver as well.

"That's Mòrag, the Flamebringer!" Dromarch informed, "Mor Ardain's Special Inquisitor."

Ash's eyes widen upon hearing that, remembering Dughall mentioning that name as well. "Wait, THAT's Mòrag!?" he repeated in shock, which was answered by Dromarch's nod.

"The most powerful Driver in the Empire..." he continued, "... wielding the most powerful Blade, Brighid."

Everyone tensed from that. "So for as strong as Brighid was..." Kari started.

"... Mòrag is even stronger..." Rex finished with a grim thought.

"I don't know why I expected Dughall to slow you down at all," Mòrag spoke, her voice carrying authority.

"It was you, right?" Nia questioned with a glare, "You're the one who spread the rumor that I was going to be executed, just to lure Rex and the others here!"

Mòrag chuckled a bit. "You catch on quickly," she answered, "Yes, you certainly proved useful. However..."

"Rex and Pyra are the real prize," Nia guessed, already knowing what she's after.

"... Not quite," Mòrag denied, staring at Pyra, "The emerald Core Crystal is the sign of the Aegis. If that Blade is indeed the Aegis... then there's something I must do."

She then turned to Ash and Kari. "Those partners of yours are, admittedly, a bonus. I'm sure Mor Ardain would like to know how you tamed them."

"We're not letting you take our partners, Mòrag!" Kari interjected, Gatomon already hissing, "And we're most certainly not letting you take Pyra either!"

"Dughall already made clear what you all intend to do with her!" Ash added. Instead of being shocked, however, Mòrag raised an eyebrow while Brighid was indifferent, as if she already knew what Dughall was up to.

"Is that so..." she commented, "It appears Brighid was right about him... I'll make sure to have a stern talk with him later..."

Despite that, she wasn't backing down. "Nevertheless, know that we're different from him," Brighid continued for the Inquisitor, "While he wishes to use that power, we aim to prevent it from being used."

"'Prevent it?' Don't joke with us!" Ash retorted, not buying it at all.

"Brighid speaks the truth, boy," Mòrag calmly replied, "What Dughall said about the Aegis was true, after all. She does hold the power to sunder Alrest itself...

"In fact, she has already done so in the past."

Everyone was surprised to hear that... everyone except Pyra, who faltered completely.

"Pyra... destroyed the world!?" Rex reaffirmed, narrowing his eyes, "Don't be so stupid!"

"Yea, Pyra would never do something like that!" Kari added.

"You mean you didn't know?" Mòrag responded, "Five hundred years ago, during the Aegis War... The Aegis sank three continents to the Cloud Sea's bed. The lost kingdoms of Judicium, Coeia, and Torna."

Ash and Kari's eyes widen at that last part. ' _Torna!?_ ' the Digidestined thought, remembering Dromarch's words their first time on Gormott, ' _The same Torna that Jin's group was named after!?_ '

The others were shocked as well. "Three Titans... destroyed...!?" Rex repeated in utter disbelief, turning to Pyra, "That can't be true! Right...?"

Pyra held her head down in shame, eyes closed in guilt. "It's... true..." she answered, "My powers... did destroy those Titans... It was why... I was sealed away in the first place..."

Everyone stared at Pyra in shock. Pyra... really did destroy those Titans...

"Now you know why we must obtain the Aegis," Mòrag informed, still keeping her composure, "So hand her here so the devastation of 500 years ago won't be repeated."

Everyone wondered in sadness what to do... for a very short bit. They soon turned back toward Mòrag and Brighid, determined glares on their faces.

"Even if that's true, we'll never hand her over!" Rex yelled, catching Pyra by surprise, "She's our friend, and we aim to protect her! You won't use her as a weapon!"

Mòrag scoffs at that. "Did you not just hear me?" she questions, "That's the kind of scenario we mean to prevent."

"Even so, our answer remains the same!" Ash informed, sparks appearing from Pikachu's cheeks in determination. Everyone else nodded at that, standing by Pyra and protecting her. Mòrag sighed at the sight.

"Then you leave me no choice..." she spoke as she pulls out Brighid's twin rapiers, which then extended into metal whips, each segments engulfed in blue flames, "I'll have to restrain you by force!"

Rex narrowed his eyes. "Then let me make this nice and clear," he started as, one by one, everyone prepared for battle.

"You! Will! _Never_! _Take_! _PYRA_!"

Seeing her friends protecting her, even after hearing the truth about her, filled Pyra with warmth. "Rex... Everyone... Thank you..." she thanked her friends, grateful for all they've done, before turning toward the Ardainian Driver and Blade, ready to help her friends in return.

"Then let's see if you all have the strength to back up those words!" Mòrag yelled as she rushes foward, "Azure Striker, Form the Second: Blaze!"

She whipped her two Whipswords toward the group. Because they weren't ordinary swords, they weren't able to block them traditionally, requiring Pyra and Dromarch to protect them with their barriers. Rex moved in with a Double Spinning Edge, but Mòrag was too quick and blocked it with one of her retracted rapiers.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash ordered. Pikachu went in to slash at Mòrag, but the Inquisitor blocked that as well with her other rapier.

"Is that the best you got?" she commented, preparing to attack again, "Radiance!"

She whips her swords upward, driving Rex and Pikachu away, before slamming her whips down on them. Nia attempted to retaliate with a Jaguar Slash, only for Mòrag to block it as well and push her back.

"Let Tora help! Spinning Cutter!" Tora called out, slashing at Mòrag's swords with his buzzsaw shield. With Mòrag distracted, Gatomon attempted to go for a One Two Neko Punch, but a barrier appeared and blocked it, courtesy of Brighid.

"Brighid, drive them back!" Mòrag ordered, tossing her rapiers to her Blade.

"With pleasure... **HEAT HAZE**!" Brighid replied, twirling around and pushing everyone back with the inferno. Though they were in pain, they still held firm.

"We're not backing down!" Ash yelled as he commanded Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, striking Brighid's barrier, "Go now!"

"On it! Sword Bash!" Rex called out and lunged forward once Brighid's barrier disappeared. Nia also moved in with a Gemini Loop, but both attacks were blocked by Mòrag's rapiers. Seems she's not letting up her guard as she pushes them back.

"Azure Striker, Form the Second: Hellfire!" she yelled as she slashed at Rex with both rapiers, staggering him. Nia, however, wasn't deter as she goes for a Butterfly Blade, finally scoring a hit on the Inquisitor and staggering her back.

"About time!" she commented as she just narrowly avoids an Azure II: Radiance from Mòrag. Tora attempted to topple her with his Big Boost, but she just as effectively blocked it, though it required both of her rapiers due to how large the drill was.

"Poppi! Now!" Tora cried as he hopped back and toss his shield to the Artificial Blade.

"Roget roger!" she responded, catching the shield and turning it into the buzzsaw, " **POPPI SPINNING SLASH**!"

Poppi rushed foward, spinning the buzzsaw around, and struck Mòrag, who struggled a bit blocking the attack, even with Brighid's barrier.

"Now's our chance! Attack from the sides!" Kari cried out.

"You got it, Kari!" Gatomon replied as she and Pikachu moved in with Lightning Paw and Quick Attack respectively on each of Mòrag's sides. Because she was too focused on keeping Poppi back, the Poké/Digi duo made their mark, staggering her enough for Poppi to break through and knock her back.

"We're not done! Sword Bash!" Rex yelled as he jammed his sword toward the Inquisitor's backside, stopping her and dealing great damage.

"Lady Mòrag! Are you alright!?" Brighid called out, worried for her Driver. Despite the damage, Mòrag got back up, looking no worse for wear.

"I'm fine, Brighid. It'll take more than that to put me down," she informed before moving in with an Azure II: Blaze on Tora.

"Is that so? Then let's see if you like this!" Nia yelled as she moves for another Butterfly Blade. Mòrag, however, smirked.

"I'd rather not," she calmly responded, ready to counter, "Azure Striker, Form the Second: Judgement!"

Waving her whips around, Mòrag moved in a way that Nia's attack completely missed, making her vulnerable for the Inquisitor's attack. She slammed her whip down on the Gormotti, knocking her into the ground.

"My lady!" Dromarch cried out, moving to her side. Ash gritted his teeth.

"You can't dodge or block our attacks forever! Electro Ball, Pikachu!" he commanded. Pikachu flung an orb of electricity toward the Inquisitor, but the attack was blocked by Brighid's barrier.

"I can if you keep going like this. Brighid!" Mòrag replied, tossing her rapiers back to her Blade.

" **WILL-O'-THE-WISP**!" she responded, scattering azure fireballs toward the Pokémon and knocking him to the ground. Ash was worried as Mòrag moved in for the final hit, but Rex appears and managed to block her Azure II: Hellfire with his Double Spinning Edge.

"You're not hurting my friends, Mòrag!" he yelled as he pushes her back and toss his sword over to Pyra.

"You said it, Rex! **PROMINENCE REVOLT**!" she responded, slamming the blade into the ground and causing an eruption below the Inquisitor, much bigger than when it was used against Dughall. Though Brighid's barrier blocked some of it, Mòrag still took damage from it, allowing the others to move in.

"Here I go! Steady Drill!" Tora calls out before landing a drill uppercut on Mòrag, followed by Gatomon's Mega Kick. Though she's far from finish, the dual attacks did pushed her away from Pikachu.

"Thanks, Gatomon, Tora," Kari thanked her friends before turning to Ash, "How's Pikachu?"

"Not too good... That Will-o'-the-Wisp did a lot to him," Ash informed, looking a bit worried, "I don't know how much longer he'll keep this up."

"I don't know how long _anyone's_ gonna keep up!" Kari added, also looking worried, "There's just no getting past her defenses, and every time we get a good hit in, she just shrugs it off!"

"We just have to try!" Rex interjected, still looking determined despite the battle taking a toll, "No matter what, we won't give up!"

Ash nodded to that. "You're right, Rex! We can't let her win!" he agreed, turning to Pikachu, "Think you can continue, buddy?"

Ash's question was answered by a determined nod from the yellow mouse. The Trainer couldn't help but smile at that. Meanwhile, Tora and Gatomon was still keeping Mòrag busy, aided by Nia who was back on her feet. The Inquisitor, however, wasn't going down easily.

"You all don't give up easily," she commented with a frown, "Even when the odds are against you."

"That may be so, but Pyra's our friend!" Nia responded, "She and the others rescued me from your stupid ship! The least I could do is pay her back!"

As she finishes, she moves in with a Jaguar Slash, which was blocked by Mòrag's rapiers. Tora and Gatomon attempted to capitalize on their bladelock with Big Boost and Lightning Paw, but the Inquisitor quickly hopped back, causing the two to halt their attack before they could hit Nia.

"Radiance!" Mòrag called out, slamming her whips onto the trio and knocking them into the ground. Before she could strike again, Pikachu appeared and collided with her rapiers with Iron Tail, allowing Rex to get a quick Rolling Smash in, though it was blocked by Brighid's barrier.

"You leave my friends alone!" Rex yelled. Pushing Pikachu away, Mòrag retaliated with an Azure II: Hellfire, pushing him back. Pyra gripped her arm in pain, though no one notices. Nia soon got back up and used her Healing Halo to heal her and the other two back up. It wasn't much, but it's a start.

"Tora, you go for a Blade Special with Poppi! Gatomon and I'll distract her!" she informed.

"Okie-dokie!" Tora agreed. With that, the Gormotti and Digi-Cat moved back in. Nia went with a Gemini Loop on Mòrag, who blocked it with relative ease.

"Try this on for size! Mega Kick!" Gatomon called out, divekicking toward Mòrag, but that was blocked as well. Before the Inquisitor could counter, the two hopped back, allowing Tora to get a good hit with Steady Drill. Mòrag faltered a bit, but the Nopon wasn't done as he tossed the shield back to Poppi.

"Poppi ready to go!" the Artificial Blade yelled as she leap up, shield turning into a drill, " **POPPI DRILL**!"

She dived drill-first onto Mòrag. Even though she still stood after that, she failed to notice the ground opening up, consuming her in an eruption.

"Nice one, Tora! Poppi!" Rex commended.

"That's what I call a Mega Eruption," Nia added with a smirk. However, that smirk was short-lived. When the eruption died down, Mòrag still stood, looking damaged but still standing firm.

"You got to be kidding!" Kari reacted in worry, "Is anything going to bring her down!?"

"We can't give up!" Ash yelled out, "Pikachu, go for a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu nodded and unleashed a stream of electricity toward the Inquisitor. But not only did Brighid's barrier blocked most of the attack, Mòrag retaliated by pushing Pikachu and Gatomon away with an Azure II: Radiance.

"Don't worry, I got you two!" Nia informed, preparing a Healing Halo. However, Mòrag has already passed her rapiers to Brighid.

"I won't let you! **SWIRLING DRAGON**!" she yelled as she rushes forward and repeatedly whips both Nia and Tora, flinging them to a nearby wall.

"Nia! Tora!" Rex called out, only to be met with Mòrag's Azure II: Hellfire. The salvager couldn't react in time and got cut by the attack, the wound burning from the fire.

" _AHHHH_!" Pyra screamed, clutching her arm in pain as she drops down. Mòrag, however, never took notice.

"Stubborn child. Why don't you just give up!" she questioned, pushing Rex back further with an Azure II: Judgement. Despite the wounds adding up, Rex still held his ground.

" _N-never_! You'll never get Pyra!" he yelled, "She's more than just a weapon, Mòrag! She's a living being! A friend!"

As he spoke, he held an arm toward Pyra, who graciously took it. Rex pulled her back up before turning back to Mòrag. "Pyra has somewhere she needs to go. And I... no, WE'RE gonna help her!"

Despite their partners getting weaken, Ash and Kari stood their ground. "That's right! We'll do whatever we can to help our friends!" Kari exclaimed, face filled with determination.

"No matter what happens, we won't falter!" Ash added.

"You hear that, Mòrag? We won't let you stand in her way!" Rex finishes as he goes for a Rolling Smash, though Mòrag blocks the forming fire with her rapier.

"This is getting tiresome," she spoke to herself, annoyed at how long they're keeping up, "The power of the Aegis is formidable, and their friends' tactics as well. But with the Driver's skill holding them back, it's all for naught."

With a flick of her rapier, Mòrag flung the fire toward a nearby wall, causing an explosion.

"Stay vigilant, Lady Mòrag," Brighid called out to her Driver, "An unknown power lurks within this foe."

"But of course," Mòrag agrees, "This Blade they call Pyra... Your flames burn far stronger than hers. But... her flames hide something deeper."

Rex looked around the area for his friends as Ash and Kari rushed to tend to their partners. "Is everyone alright...?" he asked, nearly out of breath.

"We'll be fine..." Nia informed, finally getting a chance to use a Healing Halo on everyone.

"Those two very strong!" Tora exclaimed.

"Yeah... No matter what we do to her, she just keeps getting back up..." Kari responded, wondering just how they'll get by her, much less beat her.

"There has to be a way..." Rex wondered, "A way to stop them..."

He began thinking about their past encounter with Brighid. ' _Brighid's a fire Blade... She's weak to water... We need to find a water source... a big one..._ '

He looked around the area for such a water source, until at long last, his eyes reached a water tower just outside the base. His eyes widen in realization.

"That's it!" he exclaimed before turning to the others, "Everyone, are you ready to run?"

"Huh? Sure," Nia answered.

"Hope you got a plan, Rex," Ash informed.

"I do. Follow me!" Rex replied as they made their way out of the base, something Mòrag was quick to notice.

"Think you can get away so easily?" she questioned as she and Brighid rushes after them.

Once the group was at the fields, they scattered and surrounded Mòrag, who was unamused. Rex went in with another Rolling Smash, only for the Inquisitor to block the flames once more.

"You're getting predictable, boy!" she commented as she flung the flames away, not knowing she just flung them toward the water tower's support beams. Rex smirked.

"Look who's talking! Anchor Shot!" Rex responded, firing his anchor... toward the water tower, "Poppi! Now!"

"Roger roger!" Poppi replied as she flew toward Rex's side and started pulling the tether with him. Seeing what they're pulling, Mòrag instantly realized what they're planning.

"The water tower?" she questioned, "So that's their plan! We won't let you!"

Mòrag and Brighid rushed forward to stop Rex and Poppi, only for Tora's Rigid Shield to block them.

"Pikachu, remember what happened to that Brog?" Nia asked, which was answered by a nod, "When I give a signal, zap them!"

"If you say so, Nia," Ash accepted with a smile.

"I'm with you as well!" Gatomon added, causing the Gormotti to smile. Nia moved in with a Gemini Loop, followed by Gatomon's Lightning Paw, to strike Mòrag while Tora held her. The Gormotti then tossed her rings over to Dromarch.

" **WILD ROAR**!" Dromarch yelled, conjuring a blast of water from his mouth, pushing Mòrag and Brighid back a bit and coating them in water.

" _NOW_!" Nia called out.

"You heard her, Pikachu! _THUNDERBOLT_!" Ash ordered. Pikachu let loose his attack, zapping the Inquisitor and her Blade thanks to the water and pushing them back into position. Though they still stand, it was too late for them.

" _PULL_!" Rex cried out one last time as he and Poppi made one last pull. The support beams holding the tower up instantly gave way from the pressure as the tank above dropped down, blasting Mòrag and Brighid with a tidal wave of water, much more than what Dromarch launched. Mòrag faltered a bit, but Brighid...

" _YAARRRRGGG!_ " she cried in pain, dropping to her knees. Mòrag's eyes widen at what just happened before turning to see Rex and Pyra moving for the kill, a golden aura coating them.

" _This is it!_ " they both exclaimed, holding the giant blade of fire, " ** _BURNING SWORD_**!"

They swung the blade of fire down onto the startled Inquisitor, engulfing the entire area in an explosion of steam. The steam lingered for quite a while before disappearing. Mòrag was revealed to still be standing, seemingly untouched, while Brighid remained on her knees. However, everyone else has disappeared. She could hardly believed what just happened.

"I feel... slighted..." she spoke after a bit of silence.

Brighid, recovering from the wave of water, stood back up. "Really?" she questioned.

"They actually held back against me in battle...!" Mòrag explained, surprising her Blade, "Just then, they could've ended me in that blow... but they averted their aim..."

Brighid pondered on that before turning to the destroyed water tower. "He did have good instincts, too," she added, "Weak as that boy was, skill-wise, their tactics kept us on our feet."

Mòrag nodded before thinking of what Rex said before.

' _Pyra has somewhere she needs to go. And I... no, WE'RE gonna help her!_ '

"The Aegis..." she spoke, "If she is traveling with that boy, perhaps it is worth letting them roam free for a while."

Brighid was a bit shocked to hear this, remembering what she said about the creatures. "What about the kids with the cat and mouse?"

"We'll let them go as well," Mòrag answered, "As interesting as a talking cat and an electric mouse is, the Aegis is more important."

She then turned toward Torigoth, likely where the group ran off to. "Besides, so long as they stay by that boy, our paths are bound to cross again..."

* * *

 _And that's it. Only one more part to go so our soon-to-be heroes can rest after their bout with Mòrag. All I have to say regarding this part is this: what Judicium ultimately is is rather ambiguous, so for the sake of this story, I'm referring it as a proper Titan kingdom. Not much else to say because, again, my computer is rather uncooperative..._


	17. Escape & Recuperate

**Author's Note:** _Well, here's the final part of Chapter 2. The quote-on-quote 'calm after the storm' so to speak._

* * *

 **Alrest: Population, Dwindling**

 _Part 17: Escape & Recuperate_

* * *

It has been a long and harsh day for the group. Their battle against Mòrag did not go so well compared to their battle against Malos. In fact, if it wasn't for Rex's quick thinking concerning the water tower, they might not have made it out at all...

The group ran out of Torigoth and made their way to a cliffside, away from prying eyes. By the time they stopped, night has fallen once more.

"Did... we lose them...?" Rex questioned, completely out of breath.

Pyra stared at Torigoth in the distance, not seeing any movement. "I don't think anyone's chasing us..." she believed.

"Perhaps we're safe for now..." Azurda added. With that, Rex, Ash, and Kari sat down, relieved that they can take a break now.

"About time... After everything that happened, I seriously need to lie down..." Ash said, laying on his back with Pikachu.

"Tell me about it... I'm pooped..." Gatomon agreed, energy drained from the battle.

"Tora pooped just like Gatomon..." Tora added, also lying on his back.

Nia stared at the group with a bit of a smile. "Well, see you later," she bid farewell as she turned away. Everyone else was surprised.

"We are grateful for all you've done," Dromarch thanked the group, "We wish you well on your travels. Farewell."

"Nia, you're really going to leave?" Kari asked, concern for her friend.

Nia sighed. "I told you before, it'll only make things harder for you all if I stay here," she reasoned, "I am thankful for you all helping me, but this is how it has to be..."

With that, Nia and Dromarch departed, leaving the others sadden. ' _I suppose there's no other option... Still..._ ' Ash thought with sorrow.

The only person that wasn't sadden by Nia's departure... was Rex as he stood up and called out to them. "I want to reach Elysium!"

Nia stopped and turned to the salvager. "What?" she responded, a bit bemused.

"I made a promise. I'm talking Pyra to Elysium," Rex informed, "It's just... She gave half of her life to save mine. I owe her."

Pyra smiled at what Rex said, while the others stared in awe.

"But half the world seems to be after her," he continued, "With the Titans dying off, living space is running out... That's gonna start wars, and people need weapons to fight wars. That's why they want her."

Ash and Kari hung their heads low, remembering what they heard about the upcoming war between Mor Ardain and Uraya.

"If I can prove Elysium exists, maybe I can stop the war that's coming," Rex explained, soon lowing his head in sorrow, "But... Fighting Mòrag taught me something. I'm not strong enough... I can't do this alone..."

He held his head up, facing Nia with a smile. "You're a Driver, Nia. We could really use a companion like you..." he admitted, "... if you wanted?"

Nia took a few seconds to think. "Elysium..." she spoke, "Do you really believe in that myth?"

"Well, Pyra told me that she was born there," Rex answered, gesturing to the fire Blade, "Yet here she is. So it must exist, right?"

Nia giggled at that. "Your logic is almost as good as Dughall's," she playfully noted before becoming serious, "Listen, Rex, I don't know if you're stupid or just too nice for your own good, but what if Pyra's just lying? What if this is all an act, and one day she turns round and stabs you in the back?"

Everyone was surprised at what Nia thought, though Rex glared. "Pyra would never do that!"

"Of course I wouldn't! I don't have a knife..." Pyra added, completely missing the point.

"So... serious... She..." Nia got out before she burst out laughing at what Pyra said, tension completely gone. Once she got her act back together, she looked at the group in front. "A Driver of the Aegis... A Nopon and his Artificial Blade... A Pokémon Trainer... And a Digidestined... A wacky group like this is bound to be interesting. So, sure, count me in."

Rex and the others smiled at that. "Really!?" he exclaimed.

"You'll truly stay with us!?" Kari asked, happy that she's staying.

Nia nodded at the group. "I kinda wanna see this Elysium for myself now," she admitted, "Maybe it really does exist."

"It does!" Rex confirmed with a big grin, "An endless field of green... A river of pure water... And a large city for everyone to live in!"

Nia smiled at that. Ash soon turned back to Rex.

"Rex, don't think that you're doing this by yourself!" he said, "We're with you as well. Together, we're sure to find Elysium!" Even Pikachu chimed in, agreeing with his Trainer.

Rex was surprised by that. "Ash... But wait, don't you all need to go back to your worlds?"

"Well... At the moment, we really have no clue how we're gonna do that..." Gatomon informed with a shrug, "So we might as well stick with you until then."

"Despite everything that's happened, our time on Alrest is still a blast!" Kari reassured with a smile, "Not too different from our own adventures, actually. I would love to continue with this."

"Even though Tora not offworld, Tora would still want to travel with Rex-Rex and friends!" Tora added, "Still so much to see of Alrest! So much to learn about being Driver!"

"Where Masterpon goes, Poppi right behind," Poppi informed.

"Ash... Kari... Tora..." Rex stared at awe at the offworld couple and Nopon before developing a big grin, "You got it! We'll find Elysium together!"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted in excitement. Nia couldn't help but giggle at that.

' _Interesting, indeed,_ ' she thought, ' _If the legends are true, even people like me..._ '

* * *

With night fallen, the group elected to build a campfire to rest the night away... or at least heal their wounds from their battle with Mòrag. Nia and Pyra was busy wrapping up one of Rex's wounds while Ash and Kari tended to Pikachu and Gatomon, and Tora performed maintenance on Poppi. Rex grimaced from the pain.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Did I wrap it too tightly?" Pyra asked in concern, though Nia hand-waved it.

"He's a big boy, Pyra. I'm sure he'll be fine," she assured.

"She's right, Pyra. I can swing it like this and it doesn't even-" Rex started, swinging his arm to prove their point... only for the pain to kick back in, prompting the salvager to grip his arm.

"So much for that..." Nia shrugged. Pyra attempted to lessen the pain on Rex's arm.

"Thanks... I feel much better..." Rex thanked his Blade.

"I'm sure that's Nia's poultice doing its job," Pyra informed with a caring smile, turning to the mentioned Gormotti, "Thanks, by the way."

"Don't mention it," Nia replied with a smile. Off in the distance, Ash and Kari admired the sight, their partners already fast asleep.

"They really do look sweet together..." Kari sighed in joy.

"You said it," Ash agreed before realizing something, "Wait, Kari. Is it possible for a human and a Blade to fall in love...?"

Kari response was a giggle. "Who knows," she admitted, "We don't know much about Blades aside from what Rex and Nia told us, but to us, they're practically as human as you and me. Either way, they're still our friends."

"I guess you have a point there," Ash chuckled before pondering about something, "Hm, you think Rex's going to be with Pyra, then?"

"What makes you think it's not going to be Nia?" Kari replied with a giggle, startling Ash.

" _Nia!?_ Are you sure about that?" he questioned in a bit of disbelief, "Isn't she just grateful of Rex for saving her?"

"Maybe..." Kari teased, "But that is usually how a romance starts off, right?"

Ash sighed. "I wouldn't know," he admitted with a shrug, "Until I discovered the DigiWorld and got involved in the affairs of you and the other Digidestineds, love was the furthest from my mind..."

He gazed back at the trio, who was admiring the campfire that Pyra made moments ago.

"Beautiful... Isn't it..." Pyra awed.

"Yeah, it really is..." Rex agreed, with Nia also nodding in agreement, "I guess that's probably because you made it, Pyra..."

Pyra was surprised by the comment, though Nia's reaction was a giggle. "Real smooth, Rex..." she teased.

Realizing what he said, Rex immediately got embarrassed. "Ah! No, what!?" he attempted to backpedal, "I didn't mean it like that! You're just, erm, really good at making fires... That's all."

Nia giggled some more at Rex's awkwardness, though Pyra seemed content with the response. "Thanks. It's what I do," she said with a smile as she created a small ember and blew it toward the horizon in a magical display. The offworld couple chuckled at that conversation.

"Yea, Rex has a long way to go before love could happen," Ash noted.

"To be fair, I heard you were the same way," Kari reminded with a giggle. Ash couldn't help but chuckle in embarrassment.

"I guess you have a point..." he admitted, "Still makes me wonder how I ended up attracting not only you, but also Yolei and Mimi..."

"It's because you have a certain charm that we admire," Kari answered, "That, and you're pretty selfless when it comes to your friends."

"Perhaps..." he absently agreed before smiling, "You know, out of all those girls, I'm glad you're the one I went with."

Kari blushed a bit, but smile nonetheless. "Same here..." she agreed.

Soon, the fire started to flicker out, with Tora, Poppi, Rex, Pyra, Nia, and Dromarch resting. Ash and Kari were the only ones awake, but before Kari could lay down, she noticed Ash with a stern look. "What's the matter?"

"Sorry..." Ash apologized with a sigh, "It's just... I can't keep my mind off of what Mòrag said... about Torna..."

"Torna... One of the kingdoms that sunk..." Kari remembered, thinking about Dromarch's story, "You think that's the reason Jin and Malos are after Pyra?"

"Those two seemed so adamant on getting Pyra... It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case," Ash guessed, though Kari seems to disagree.

"Even so, Mòrag said that it sunk 500 years ago," she reminded, "There's no way those two would've lived long enough to bother with avenging the kingdom."

Hearing that, however, made Ash ponder. "Actually... There was something bothering me about Malos," he said, with Kari wondering what was wrong, "When Malos and Pyra were fighting on that vessel, it could have been the storm playing tricks, but I could've sworn I heard Malos saying it took him back to 500 years ago."

Kari eyes widen. "You're saying Malos may have lived that long ago!?" she questioned in complete disbelief, "That's crazy! No human can live that long!"

"That's not all, though," Ash continued, "Every time I was near him, I kept sensing a dark feeling from him... a feeling that's not natural..."

"A dark feeling?" Kari wondered before realizing something, "Could your Aura have picked something up!?"

"Who knows..." Ash admitted, "But there's is one thing clear with all this...

"Malos is no ordinary person..."

* * *

Inside a mobile undersea base, a metal ship docked inside its harbor. It was the same ship that appeared in Argentum and the ancient vessel, dubbed the Monoceros. The door opened up to reveal Jin, Malos, and Sever exiting. Greeting them from the harbor was a black-haired man wearing blue, japanese style armor and a pair of glasses.

"Welcome home, Jin," the glasses man greeted.

"Hey, Akhos," Jin greeted back.

"I hear the Aegis awakened. Nasty shock for you? Or was it...?" the man names Akhos spoke in a bit of a theatrical way, "Of course, my script showed how everything would play out from the start."

"Sure, sure..." someone replied sarcastically. That someone turned out to be a girl resembling a fairy wearing a golden robe. The blue gem shows that she's a Blade. She glided down from above and floated next to Akhos. "You say that once it's all over and done with. It's easy to act smug when hindsight's on your side."

"Shut your mouth, Obrona!" Akhos retorted to the new Blade, though she wasn't genuine with the response.

"Where are the other two?" Malos questioned, prompting Akhos to push his glasses up a bit.

"Mikhail's inspecting the Ardainian 'factory.' Apparently, the factory head mentioned finding a very interesting power source," Akhos explained, "As for my beloved sister, she's out hunting as usual. I'm sure she'll have found plenty of Drivers to chew up and spit out by now."

"Heh, of course Patroka'ssss out hunting," Sever commented with a beastly grin, "Makes me wish I was there with her."

Despite how enthusiastic Sever was, Malos appears indifferent. "Not sure we can use all those Core Crystals, though..."

"Do we know where the Aegis is right now?" Jin questioned, getting everyone back on track.

"Jin, Jin... What do you take me for?" Akhos replied a bit melodramatically, "Of course we know her whereabouts. Obrona?"

"Yeah, yeah," Obrona responded. She floated to the middle of the group and, spreading her arms out, coated the field with particles. It took the form of the many different landmasses of Alrest. Akhos turned his attention to the particle cluster resembling Gormott, taking notice of 4 particular particles; two blues, one red, and one brown.

"There they are," Akhos spoke, "Seems they're currently traveling away from the urban area of Gormott."

"Leaving the town?" Malos responded, raising an eyebrow, "But there's nothing out that way."

"Perhaps so, but maybe they're on their way out of Gormott itself," Akhos guessed, before noticing another cluster of blue particles moving toward what appears to be a giant bird, "And will you look at that? Seems a certain shipment has set out."

"Core Crystals heading to Indol for cleansing, huh?" Malos guessed with a scoff, "How pious of them... Shall we handle them?"

"I can deal with that myself," Jin informed, "You concentrate on the Aegis."

"Understood," Akhos accepted, looking rather pleased, "Well, I am looking forward to clapping eyes on the Aegis..."

"Just make sure not to get too overconfident, Akhos," Malos recommended, "The Aegis' Driver is joined by 2 kids and their pets. Despite appearances, they pack a punch."

"Yea! Especially the boy with the rat!" Sever added, growling at the memory, "I still need to pay them back for that shock treatment!"

"Aw, what's wrong, Sever? Afraid of a few sparks now?" Obrona teased the lizard Blade.

"Shut your trap, you overgrown moth!" Sever growled at the fairy Blade, prompting Malos to shut him up. Akhos then turned to Jin, his smug theatrical look completely absent.

"By the way, what happened to Nia?" he asked.

There was a noticeable pause before Jin answered. "You know where she is?" he questioned.

"Yes. Look here," Akhos answered, pointing back to the four particles on Gormott, specifically one of the blue dots, "That there is Dromarch's wavelength, and where ever Dromarch is at, Nia is bound to be nearby. It seems they're traveling together with the Aegis."

"With the Aegis?" Jin repeated. There was another noticeable pause before Jin sighed in resignation. "... Do as you see fit."

Akhos sighed at that response. "Somehow, I knew you would say that..."

"Right then. We're gonna take the Monoceros," Malos informed, not feeling bothered by the situation unlike the other two.

"Hm. As you wish," Jin accepted before heading off.

"Hey!" Malos called out, prompting Jin to stop, "Don't do anything too reckless."

With nothing but a simple nod, Jin continued on out as Malos, Akhos, and their Blades entered the Monoceros, ready to deal with the Aegis themselves...

* * *

 _And that's the end of this Chapter. Just like before, there won't be another part until I've finished all of Chapter 3. Which, considering that my interest has waned since then, might take a while...Oh well, gives you all more time to think of a Rare Blade to give to Rex. Next Chapter is where Rex will get the group's first Rare Blade, so be sure to give me suggestions on what to give him soon. Once I post the next part, it'll be too late for suggestions. Oh, and if a Blade is outright unavailable during Chapter 3 in-game, I won't consider it. I may consider it later in the future, but for this first Blade, no._

 _Another thing is the implications between Rex and both Pyra and Nia. I've said before that I don't know who to pair Rex with and I still stand by this. This is really just me setting Pyra and Nia up as possible options. That being the case, I'd like to hear what you think. Who should Rex be paired with? The end result will ultimately be up to me, but I'd like to hear what you all think. I'll be setting a poll up to help you decide (though if you don't see a poll in the next hour, then I must have done something wrong as this is the first time I'm doing this)._

 _And as for Chapter 3... Well, I have a couple of things planned for that Chapter... One of which being something that's_ not _from the base game. Chapter 3 is going to be the first Chapter that's gonna feature a change aside from Ash and Kari appearing. It may start off small, but if this plan works as intended, it may grow bigger. Not enough to overthrow the entire plot, but it's... something, I guess. It may work, or it may backfire on me... Who knows..._

 _Either way, this has been:_

 ** _Chapter 2: Aptitude_**


End file.
